GEDDY LEE On ALEX LIFESON's ROCK HALL Speech: 'I Thought He Had Lost His Marbles'

During a brand new interview with RollingStone.com, RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee was asked about Alex Lifeson's now-legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction speech consisting entirely of "blah blah blahs," in which the guitarist changed the tone of his voice to exhibit a range of emotions — with everyone understanding what he meant, especially when he "described" getting the call that the band was being inducted.

"I had no idea he was doing that," Lee said. "Let me go on the record to say he didn't tell us he was doing that. In fact, I know he had a whole other speech planned. Neil [Peart, drums] and I thought he had lost his marbles when he was talking. You can see the look on our faces behind him going, 'What the fuck is he doing?' And of course, we couldn't see him act it all out. We just kept hearing, 'blah blah blah blah blah.'

"I don't know what his pure intent was, but I think it was more a knock on speeches, the whole process of the Hall Of Fame induction thing."

Lee continued: "He's a mental case. And he's genuinely one of the funniest people you would ever meet in your life. But I wanted to kill him at the three-minute mark. Neil and I were threatening to knock him on the head and drag him offstage."

Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins of FOO FIGHTERS inducted RUSH at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Grohl said in his induction speech, "From day one, the band built its following the right way. No hype, no (baloney),they did it from the ground up without any help from the mainstream press… Their influence is undeniable and their devoted fan base is only rivaled by the GRATEFUL DEAD. Look at you people, all of you people, right here! And their legacy is that of a band that stayed true to themselves no matter how uncool they may have seemed to anyone."

Lee was asked on the red carpet if he thought the acclaimed documentary on the band, "Beyond The Lighted Stage", played a role in the groundswell of support for the band's induction into the Hall Of Fame. "Oh, I think it probably did have an effect to a certain degree because of the way the filmmakers put that story together," he said. "I think it really showed what a vast and diverse audience that we do have and what the effect of our music has been on young players. And one of the criteria of the Hall Of Fame is influence, so I think it's easy to see that in that film."

Peart said that the band's fans had a personal stake in seeing the band inducted. "The thing is, with our fans, is that we grew up together," he said. "We always say 'the soundtrack of your life' is a phrase that I love, but it has been that case and we have evolved naturally in our music and our lyrics and our songs and all that, of our experiences from our past and our present as grown-ups, and we've expressed all that through our songs. So a lot of them have grown up with that in a very real, true way, so they share it and they feel like they're part of the team, and our team should win."

Lee thanked "the most passionate, incredible fan base around the globe …for not only supporting and encouraging our musical progress over the years, but for the insistence of their voices, which has most certainly led us to this evening."