Rush frontman Geddy Lee set to star in new radio documentary
Although Rush has not shown any signs of a reformation, frontman Geddy Lee is set to be one of the main contributors to the upcoming radio station documentary CFNY: The Spirit of Radio.
The iconic Toronto radio station was one of the first stations to help showcase the Canadian rock icons when they started. The documentary’s title also comes from one of the band’s greatest hits, which drummer Neil Peart wrote about their love for the station.
Lee isn’t alone in representing the Canadian acts that the radio station helped launch. Alongside the bass player’s involvement, fellow icons like Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies and Dereck Whibley of Sum 41 are also set to make appearances and discuss the impact the station had on them as both listeners and rising stars.
The film is set to delve into the life of program director Dave Marsden, who was known for helping bring various new talents onto the radio. Prior to working behind the board, Marsden was known as one of the hosts of the Canadian television show Music Hop, which acted as a Canadian counterpart to American Bandstand in the 1960s.
Outside of its representation of Canadian artists, CFNY was also known for helping bring genres like punk and new wave across the pond from England. As such, some of the biggest names in the genre are among the contributors, including Peter Hook of New Order, Lol Tolhurst of The Cure, Jim Kerr of Simple Minds, and Andy McCulsky of OMD.
When discussing the film, producer Matt Schicter described the heart of the movie centring around Marsden’s life in radio, saying, “Going into production, I thought we were telling a story about a radio station, but we quickly found out this was a really personal story about David Marsden’s vision and the alternative culture he created”.
Other than the upcoming doc, Lee has been making the rounds promoting his autobiography My Effin Life. While there have been added rumours that the bass player could potentially work with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson again, nothing has been confirmed lately.
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