01x06 - Geddy Lee and Mary Weinrib

[bunniefuu]

♪ MTV

[gentle music]

DAVE: When I started
playing rock and roll,

I didn't really overthink it.

Once I realized I had
any ability whatsoever,

it was all I wanted to do.

But I wasn't so different
than a million other kids.

What made me different,

was that my mother
allowed me to do it.

What made me different,

is she believed in me.

You should join me on this.

One my hand in mine
and one hand in yours.

DAVE: Nowadays, when I
find myself in situations

that seem pretty
hard to imagine.

And whenever you are ready,

wrist first and then fingers.

DAVE: I think of her.

[distant chattering]

Thank you very much

He's a good man.

And there you go.

It's your imprint.

[distant chattering]

[crowd cheering]

DAVE: When I heard Rush,

it changed my life.

That's the first time I
ever noticed the drums.

That's when

I knew I wanted to be a drummer.

[instrumental rock music]

[crowd cheering]

[gentle music]

Okay. And then
you're gonna go right

to the street called cactus,

which is right here.

And you lived here
from the ages of?

I lived here from about
four years old to 11.

And my mother would say

these were the happiest
years of her life,

I would think.

So that's our
house, right there.

DAVE: Was it from this house

where you will
listen to the radio

and you really fell
in love with music?

I know this was a house though

that I remember watching
the Beatles on Ed Sullivan,

right in that room there.

My sister was crying when
the Beatles, were on TV,

and I'm like,

Why are you crying?

It's just music.

My earliest exposure to
music would have been here

but I didn't really
seriously get into it

until I was a little bit older,

and would just pretend
I was Sandy Koufax

throwing ba*ls at
that garage door

for hours at the time.

COMMENTATOR: Strike three.

He did it.

Sandy Koufax get to
second consecutive

shutout of the Twins.

This was the seventh
game of the World Series.

From a very early age,

I knew that my parents
were a Holocaust survivors.

In fact, we knew that
almost all of my family

were Holocaust survivors.

I have friends from
my neighborhood

that are also
children of survivors.

Their parents wouldn't
talk about it.

It's much more common that
survivors don't discuss it.

But I felt,

lucky in a way

'cause it wasn't a
mystery in my house.

DAVE: How are you, Mary?

I'm okay.

Isn't this a nice surprise?

I have no idea.
They surprised me too.

Yeah. [laughs]

I was in the shower.
Barged right in.

Did she come to see you
guys play back then?

Yeah, It was the
Abbey Road Club.

And they're all were
in love with him.

Yeah.
Of course.

I was standing by the door
when they were leaving

and they said,

Oh, he is so good.
Yeah.

But you didn't picture then

that he would be world famous.
Are you kidding?

And have a house like this.
No.

And have a life, like you said.

Never.

Yeah.

That's why I was crying

because I didn't
want him to continue.

[lively up beat music]

INTERVIEWER: Getting the, like,

200 concerts a year
for five years,

how long do you keep that?

As long as we can.

As long as we're still standing.

♪ Though his mind
is not for rent ♪

♪ Don't put him
down as arrogant ♪

Rush, has the fourth most
consecutive gold albums

of any rock band in history.

♪ The river

[instrumental rock music]

♪ Philosophers and plowmen

♪ Each must know his part

Ladies and gentlemen,

the skinniest bassist,

with a baddest sounds,

and the most unique voice
in rock and roll, Geddy Lee.

♪ Closer to the heart, yeah

♪ All this machinery
making modern music ♪

What makes Rush unique
is fearlessness.

There's only one band
that sounds like them,

it's Rush.

♪ And endless compromises

♪ Shatter the illusion
of integrity, yeah ♪

♪ Living in the limelight,
the universal dream ♪

The godfather of
progressive metal,

the high priest of high concept,

Rush.

[crowd applauding]

I do hope I will
see you all again

sometime down the road, babye.

[crowd cheering]

[plane engine roaring]

When the w*r broke out,

Nazis rolled into her town,

and as Jews, they
were ghettoized.

She was born in Warsaw.

I think her childhood was,

her Friday night dinners

or going to school
like anyone else.

And then come grade six,

it was all kinda over.

They would March every
day and help build,

what they called a work camp

but just the young
and the able-bodied,

they put to work.

Anyone who was of a
certain age or beyond

was eradicated,

because they posed
a threat to them.

You were just,

what, 14 or 13?

So, you're just carrying
heavy things all day long.

Oh, yeah.

You weren't able
to eat anything,

I remember you're saying.
No, they don't.

They don't give you.

They don't give you a snacks.
Yeah.

And there was no room service.

[laughing]

No room service.

And that's where
you met dad, right?

Yes. I used to see him there.

You know, they were kids,

and they would
chit chat and flirt

on their way to the work camp,

as kids would,

no matter what the circumstance,

and they sort of had
a crush on each other.

[gentle music]

They got separated.

He was in Dachau when
she was in Auschwitz.

[rail squealing]

[train whistles]

So my mother didn't know
whether he was alive or not.

He was constantly
looking for her

and she was constantly
looking for him.

She had no idea.

DAVE: I remember hearing
that her mother said that,

the family does
not get separated.

SUSIE: Yes. It's true.

It's true.

Her mother saved her life.

Oh, I remember you
told me that one story

where you were really sick

and they put you in a
sort of hospital thing,

but the Germans would come in

every once in a
while to the sick bay

and they would take
all these people out,

and they would just
dispose of them basically.

My mother had a friend,

she was a nurse.

Sometimes they made up
the bed and cover me.

I could hardly breathe
and some of the days

I could not even breathe.

This one amazing
person would hear

that the soldiers
were coming at night

so, they would tell
my grandmother,

Get her out,

get her out during the day,

bring her back tomorrow.

So, they would sneak her out,

hide her in the barrack.

You must have been terrified.

It was,

but you know,

then, you get used to the life.

You'd think that's the way
you're supposed to live.

Yeah.

[dramatic music]

So my mother was
then transferred

to a camp called Bergen-Belsen.

She was there for about
a year and a half.

And Bergen-Belsen was
really a death camp.

That's where the
British liberated her.

And that's where she was
reunited with my dad.

Every day they posted,

who is still alive

and what camps they were in.

He had read on the board,

seen her name

and so, he couldn't wait to go.

And he comes walking into Belsen

and she didn't know
he was still alive.

He walked a whole week
to get back to Belsen.

A whole week, for God,

there was no transportation.

And where did you sleep?

Outside, he said.

Wow. He was in love.

Yeah. He was in love.

And then of course
she moved to Canada.

[gentle music]

[rail squealing]

[retro instrumental music]

DAVE: Why Canada?

Why Canada?

What year did you
arrive, '47, '48?

'47.

I think I was about 19.

Probably, why Canada?

More than anything
was that my father

had a sister here.

So, she was the one helping
to get him over here,

and that was really
the only family

anybody ever had
over on this side.

MARY: And now I
brought over my sister,

my brother, my mother.

My dad wanted to live life.

He was ready to live
life and enjoy it

so, he didn't focus on the camp

as much as my mom did.

DAVE: Why do you think it is

that she was so open about it?

Whereas some people aren't.

I think she had the need

to talk about it

because she was
frightened all the time.

She really wanted us to know

that there was evil out there,

and this was her experience.

Anytime we are out of line,

she would use the w*r
as a disciplinary tool.

I guess normal families
would hear the stories about,

I had to walk 10 miles
to school every day.

My mother would say,

I was in the w*r.

You have it so easy.

So, those stories came out
without much prompting.

[soft guitar music]

VIRGINIA: I don't remember
when you started cooking.

It's about the three
and a half hours ago.

All right.

Here we go.

[utensils clanging]

Cheers.
Cheers.

Cheers to ladies.

[chuckles]

I remember we were
having a birthday dinner

at a steak place,

and Violet said,

about you,

You're the only one
who really gets me.

And I thought, Wow.

I believe it,

that you really
understand each other.

DAVE: What's your favorite
Michael Jackson song?

"Beat It".

DAVE: "Beat It"?

I thought it was "Thriller".

"Beat It" is "Thriller", Daddy.

DAVE: Oh, I thought
they were different.

Yeah.

Again.

Hey, Violet.

One of the things
that Violet and I

have in common is,

our love of music.

[drums banging]

[cymbals clanging]

And from a really early age,

you started singing
when you were,

maybe four years old.

I could tell that she
had the ear for doing it.

Your ear was catching,

not just the pitch,

but all the
inflection and stuff.

It was funny for me to sit

with Geddy and his mom,

because he changed my life.

Rush really changed my life.
Yeah.

I loved music,

I loved singing in
the car to AM radio,

but I never listened
to the drums,

until I heard Rush.

As we were sitting
with Geddy and his mom,

I was thinking,

if it weren't for her,

I might not be a drummer.

VIRGINIA: Wow.

You asked me this,

when you were little.

You said, What do you think
I'm gonna do when I grow up?

And I said,

I feel like you're
most successful

in the things that
you love to do.

And if you have
the thing already

and if you have the drive
and the passion to do it,

nothing's going to
stop you from doing it.

Talent has less to do
with it than drive.

I'm convinced.
Yeah.

Someone tells you, "You
can't do something."

But now you gotta do it.
Right, yeah.

[orchestral music]

When my dad first came here,

he was out of work for a while.

And then they were
looking for a store

and he found the
store in Newmarket.

And it was called
"Time Square Discount".

Time Square Discount.
Mhm.

[acoustic guitar picking]

GEDDY: How old was I?
When you got the store?

WOMAN: You? It was 11.

I was 11 when you
bought the store, yeah.

DAVE: And what do you remember

about the store?

It was great.

Like, it was like a
home away from home.

And the whole toy section.

It was always toys there.
[laughing]

INTERVIEWER: You
sold everything?

WOMAN: I sold everything.

INTERVIEWER: Yeah.

It says on the thing.

If you can't find things
in Time Square, go home.

[people laughing]

We would go to work every day

and my mom would work
sometimes on the weekends.

And of course I was a
huge help on Saturday.

Oh, I'm sure.
[laughing]

GEDDY: It was the
family business.

DAVE: Geddy, we're
you the first musician

in the family?

Uh, actually, my dad was a
musician in the old country.

WOMAN: It was his passion
and he had a guitar

but we actually
never saw him play.

Yeah, we used to play the ball,

like when we went on holidays.

I used to sleep
in, in the morning.

He used to make up songs
and stay under the window.

And play and sing the songs.

And I woke up.

See, I never heard
these stories.

I didn't know he was a musician.

And I remember talking
to an aunt once.

And this aunt said, "Do you
know, your dad used to play?"

I was then on the
way to be a musician.

And it was sort of like a
big moment for me to know

that I sorta came by music.

Honestly, you know, like
that he was musical.

In a way when he was
in the, I was happy.

At least somebody, you know?

INTERVIEWER: Mhm. So
then there's his son.

Yeah.

Didn't you tell me once
that he wanted to bring

an instrument from
Europe to Canada?

Yeah, yeah.

And you wouldn't let him?

No, I wouldn't take it.

And I said "That's a no thing.
You don't need to take it."

[all laughing]

They took away my plates.

INTERVIEWER: Oh, oh.

Yeah, yeah. Rather have
the plates than the fiddle.

I think the first memory I
have of like performing music.

Think I was in like first grade.

But way later when
I was 10, maybe.

At my school, they
would have this talent

show thing and my dad
and I decided to sing.

♪ Let me photograph
you in this light ♪

♪ In case it is the last time

♪ That we might be
exactly like we were ♪

♪ Before we realized

♪ We were scared
of getting old ♪

♪ It made us restless

And it was really fun.

♪ Oh, I'm so mad
I'm getting old ♪

♪ It makes me reckless

So there's similarities between
Violet and I, musically.

But you know, the
difference is Violet is

in an environment where there's
a lot more resource here.

So there's a piano over there.

And there's a guitar over there.

And there's a drum set upstairs.

And like a divining rod,

you kind of gravitate to the
one that you connect with.

That if you're sort
of surrounded by it,

eventually you kind of
like find your thing.

And you have invited
her on stage,

so she's gained that experience

way ahead of a lot of people.

Right.

And unfortunately,

she really loves it.

[people laughing]

♪ It was just like a movie

♪ It was just like a song

♪ When we were young

[crowd cheering]

And that was like, I think,
where it kind of clicked.

Like, oh, this is
what I want to do.

And like, what I love to do.

There was life before
my dad passed away.

And life after my
dad passed away.

And they were very different.

My dad was a chief
disciplinarian,

but also he had a
tremendous sense of humor.

And he brought a great
amount of love and life

into our family.

And my mother adored him.

My dad loved music.

Every Saturday night.
My mum and dad would go

out to Supper Clubs
and drink and dance.

[melancholy piano music]

So when he was gone,
she was crushed.

Imagine what they
survived together.

And it took her a
really long time

to find some kind of happiness.

So our household was not
a supremely happy one

after he passed away.

I had a hard time
dealing with that grief.

And Geddy had to shoulder
most of the responsibility.

DAVE: It sounds like that
after your father died

that Geddy had to sort
of take over and become.

Well, I think those
were the expectations.

That's a lot to put on, you
know a 14 and 15 year old.

Who really is, you know.

Just discovering what is,

could be an integral
part of him.

In the Jewish faith,
you're supposed to mourn

for 11 months and one day.

And as a good Jewish
boy that's what I did.

During this 11 months there was

very little music in my house.

It was really a long,
sort of dark, year.

And when I emerged from that.

I was talking to my friends
and they were talking about

popular songs that were
on the radio and bands

and stuff that I
had never heard of.

And some of the kids in my
neighborhood were starting

to talk about playing and
learning an instrument.

MAN: Just seemed to be a
natural evolution for him.

Susie, my daughter
had the piano.

We used to give the
lessons like a lady.

And one day she came and she was

working with Susie in all this.

And she went home.

And he went into the room
where the piano stayed

and he was playing the song.

The girl teaching
them get told me.

"He has a good ear for music

and don't let him
out of your hands".

INTERVIEWER: She was right.

Yeah, she was right.

When Geddy started into music.

I think music for
him, was his escape.

He could go somewhere else.

And I think that was a
big instigator for him.

So he wants to become a
musician and he wants to drop

out of at a school.

And people are telling her,

"No. You, you you
can't allow this."

DAVE: How did your mother
feel about having a

little rock and
roller in the house?

Um, my mother likes to think
that she was very supportive.

[laughing]

But she was not very supportive.

She didn't like who I
was hanging around with.

She didn't like the fact that my

hair was getting
longer and longer.

I was less interested in school.

These are, are tough things
to come to grips with.

If you're a mom, and
now you're a single mom.

And you're still, have
survived all the things

that she had survived.

When my husband passed away.

I was crying for two weeks
because I didn't know

what to do with my life.

She had no business
sense whatsoever.

She didn't even know how
to run the cash register.

When all her peers and her
relatives all told her,

"You're a woman, you
have three children,

you can't do this."

And I think she got
so fed up hearing it.

That she got $5,000 from
my dad's life insurance.

She gave it to this gentleman.

He held the mortgage
on the property.

She divided it in two.

She took the business and
rented the other half out

to someone else.

And Geddy, and I. We
had shopping carts

and we helped her move the stock

from one location to the other.

We taught her how to run the
cash register and set it up.

And in spite of all those odd,

she did it.

DAVE: So Linda Perry
has this event.

They raise all this money
to further music programs

and education for
people that need it.

So she's like, "Hey, can
the Foo Fighters play?

And I'm like, "Think some
people might be out of town."

I was like, "I'll just
call the Nirvana guys."

See what Krist
and Pat are up to.

And they're like, "Yeah, sure."

They said, "Who do
you want to sing?"

I'm like, "Well, let me
see what Beck is up to."

Beck was in town, I hit
up Annie St. Vincent.

She's done it with us before.

And I thought I'll
call Joan Jett.

She couldn't do it.

So I thought, "Well,
maybe I'll have

my daughter send us off."

She's in her Nirvana
phase right now.

Has nothing to do with me.

Like at her sixth
grade graduation.

Each kid goes up
to give a speech.

Kids are picking Obama
quotes and Oprah quotes.

And Violet goes up
there and she goes,

"My quote is from Kurt Cobain."

"I'd rather be
hated for who I am,

than loved for who I am not."

In front of the
whole auditorium.

And I'm just like,

"Oh my God."

So I said, "Okay, well, what
song do you want to do?"

"Heart Shaped Box."

Wow.

[melodic rock]

[crowd cheering]

The f*cking darkest
one was like,

"Where did I go wrong?"

♪ She eyes me like a
Pisces when I am weak ♪

But she's not used to being
the lead singer of a band.

And she gets up
there in her f*cking

thrift store sweater
and her jeans.

Just kind of held on.

♪ Hey

♪ Wait

♪ I got a new complaint

♪ Forever in debt to
your priceless advice ♪

♪ Hey

♪ Wait

♪ I got a new complaint

And then the LA
Times View comes out.

It's like, "Violet Grohl,
steals the f*cking show."

[crowd cheering]

I mean, I couldn't
be more proud.

[crowd continues cheering]

Thank you!

And then I had to drive her
to the bus stop on Monday.

"Like, "Have fun at school."

[both laughing]

[rock music]

Ah, Beth David Synagogue.

That was our Synagogue,
down that street.

Now this Plaza,

probably where
the Bagel Plus is.

There used to be a little
mom and pop music shop.

And that's where I bought
my first bass guitar.

My fine Canora bass.

And why did you pick the bass?

Well, I was playing in a
little sort of garage band.

Except it was like before
you could actually be

in a garage and
nobody had a garage.

So we couldn't actually call
ourselves a garage band.

We were a bedroom band.

We would just practice
in my friend's bedroom.

And the other two guys said,

"Okay, you'll be
the bass player."

I said, "Okay." I was
a fairly mousey kid.

So I begged my
mom to loan me $35

to buy that Canora and
that, and that's it.

[rock music continues]

I was still sort of a good boy.

But I was starting to
hang around with Darryl.

Looks like Alex
Lifeson [mumbles].

[mumbles]

My mother, she didn't like
who I was hanging around with.

That, the guy, Alex, with
the long blonde hair.

She came into my bedroom
one day and he had, you know

sorta left home and was
sleeping on my floor.

In the night, in the evenings.

And I didn't tell my mom.

So one morning she came in
and there was Alex asleep

on the floor and she
thought it was a girl.

Because his long blonde hair
was hanging over the covers.

You know, my mother
would want to go in,

in the middle of the night
and cut both their hairs.

You know, she had the scissors.

So we would have
to pull her away.

"You cannot do this."

So I don't know what was worse.

The fact that it was possibly
a girl sleeping in my bedroom

or it was Alex
sleeping in my bedroom.

And one day he came
up and he said,

"We have to, we have
to try this pot.

"I have pot."

And he took me to that school
yard and we smoked a joint.

And I was playing in another
band and I had rehearsal.

So we smoked this joint.

And then I went over
to my friend's house.

I was so high.

You know, your first
joint, I was so f-ing high.

And I went to my friend's house.

And went into his basement
and he could tell I was high.

And he got really upset.

[laughing]

"It's Alex, isn't it."

I go, "Yeah, it's Alex.

[both laughing]

He was that guy.

He was that guy.

[continues laughing]

We were besties then.

And we're besties now.

So the first gig I
ever did with Alex

and John Rezzi was this
next main street here.

That's where you
did your first show?

GEDDY: Yeah, first Rush gig.

DAVE: Do these
people even realize?

[laughing]

In that building
in the basement.

[classic rock music]

GEDDY: So we split the proceeds.

We would buy french fries
with gravy and Coke.

You know, you made it.

GEDDY: Did a gig and got paid.

Are you kidding
me? It was amazing.

[classic rock continues]

My brother and sister
were, you know,

not easy to maintain
at that point in time.

And she had no idea what
Geddy was really doing.

This whole music
business would be crazy.

It took awhile.

It took a long while
until, you know,

she finally just accepted
that this was the reality.

So once I left home,
I started coming back

and talking to her more
with a fresher perspective.

I understood why it was
so difficult for her.

And she started to be more
understanding about it.

I remember when she saw us

on a really amateurish
local TV show,

and that had a
profound effect on her.

Once again, we're back

at the Laura Secord
Secondary School.

[audience cheering]

It kind of suddenly
made sense to her.

And I lead vocals and
bass guitar, Geddy Lee.

Because then she
could tell her friends

that he was an entertainer.

[rock music playing]

♪ I'm in love

She thought I was insane.

I think it was important

for her to know what to say
to her friends and her family

about what their children
were doing, right?

It was a real, a badge of honor

if your son or daughter went
to university or got a degree.

She couldn't brag
about those things,

but now she could brag
that he was an entertainer.

[rock music]

It didn't take very long
before we were all cool again.

♪ Wow

INTERVIEWER: At what
point did the success

really kick in?

Did you realize that
it was taking off?

Well, it took a while.

We were touring a lot, but
we weren't making any money.

Tours were expensive.

Our record sales in the
early days were pretty small.

INTERVIEWER: Did anybody imagine

that it would really work?

You felt like you
had to do something.

When he did his first album,

we went out and bought every
single record in the stores.

INTERVIEWER: They said that
you used to sell his records

in your store?

Yeah, the first record,

and I had all the
windows with Rush.

WOMAN: Posters everywhere.

OLD WOMAN: All windows
were covered with Rush.

So you must've been the
coolest market in town, right?

Yeah, yeah.

I don't think it was a
big mover though, was it?

Oh, but it was.

It was?

Yeah, it was.

I started with 10, then I
started with 30, 40, 50.

And then she became my agent,

and the rest is history.

[rock music playing]

We were getting
a bit of airplay,

but we were not exactly
an airplay band.

We didn't have any hit singles.

But at that time, you could
actually speak to a DJ.

I remember getting
one on the phone

and he started talking
about Geddy's voice,

'cause everyone was always
mentioning his voice,

sounded like he was
swallowing 1000 razors.

[rock music playing]

It took us quite a while

to actually feel
like we were going

to have some kind of success

that was sustainable in
any way, shape, or form.

Would you please welcome
from Canada, Rush?

[rock music playing]

I don't think it
really was until 2112

that we were starting
to headline shows

and starting to see a
little bit of success.

[rock music playing]

♪ Oo, we've taken
care of everything ♪

♪ The words you read,
the songs you sing ♪

♪ The pictures that give
pleasure to your eyes ♪

♪ It's one for all
and all for one ♪

♪ We work together,
common sons ♪

♪ Never need to
wonder how or why ♪

♪ We are the Priests of
the Temples of Syrinx ♪

♪ All the gifts of life are
held within these walls ♪

INTERVIEWER: And you
weren't making pop singles?

No.

INTERVIEWER: Where
did that come from?

Where did your love
of prog come from?

I have such a variety
of music that I love

that I wanted to play all of it.

And the only way you can
hint at playing all of it

is in progressive music.

You can fit all
your musical dreams

in a progressive style of music.

[Dave] I don't wanna slow
dow, I don't wanna do it.

TAYLOR: You know
what I noticed, Dave?

DAVE: What, Taylor?

There's more people
wearing Rush t-shirts

than there are few
fighters t-shirts.

[audience cheering]

I'll tell you one of the
reasons why that's so beautiful.

We have a special guest
here watching tonight.

We have two special guests.

We have my mom and
Geddy Lee's mom

sitting next to each
other on the side there.

[audience cheering]

[drums hitting]

That's for you guys.

[audience cheering]

When Geddy decided to quit-

I was at his last show.

Yeah.

Yeah, I was at your last show.

Yeah, were you there?

In...

It was terrible.

LA, yeah.

That night, the
people in the hall

was crushing me to death.

Why do you let him quit?

Why they do this?

We need him, he should be here.

Rush should be here.

Well, you remember her

at the rock and roll
hall of fame after party.

I went to bed before she did.

Oh, really? [laughs]

I think you were still there
and my mom was still there.

Yeah, I was still
there and he was gone.

[somber music]

How do you think she
reflects her looks back

on her incredible
past in her story

to what it's become now?

Does she have pinch me
moments, do you think?

I think she does.

I think my mother is very
proud of her kids, not just me.

[Geddy's mother laughing]

And I think she's most
proud of how close we are.

One, two, three.

INTERVIEWER: Your family
bond is so important

to your mother and
it seems like family

has always been so
important to her.

I wonder if it came from her
mother before the w*r, or...

I think it's the
combination of that,

but if there was ever a
message that carried down,

I think it was, no, you have
to keep this family together

no matter what.

The intent from a certain race

was to obliterate
that family unit,

so you have to support
brothers and sisters

and their offsprings
no matter what it is.

Once we lost our father, it
made that even more important

'cause there's one less person

to help keep that unit together.

We get along pretty well.

I talk to my brother once
every day or every two days,

we have a lot in common.

And my sisters and my kids
and now my little grandson,

we're a pretty tight family

and I think that's the
thing she can't believe.

That's her pinch me moment.

Yeah, it's great
that I'm successful

and that she can be proud of me,

but she's proud of all her kids.

It's a family thing,

I think it will always
be about family.

[children playing]

[uplifting piano music]

Geddy's relationship with
her right now is amazing.

I got an umbrella

so your beautiful
hair won't get messed.

Watch your knees.

Well, if the weather's nice,

I try to pick her up late
morning with the dogs

'cause she loves my dogs.

We used to go for
a long ravine walk

and let the dogs run free.

And then I would
drop the dogs off,

take her to our
local restaurant.

She orders exactly the
same thing every Saturday,

and we have breakfast together.

And they have a ball.

He speaks Yiddish to her.

For the longest time, he would
collect these Jewish jokes

and then call her.

I wish I could speak it
like she could speak it,

but we practice.

[Geddy speaking Yiddish]

And he says [speaks Yiddish]

[Geddy's mother laughing]

WOMAN: He makes her laugh.

GEDDY: Okay, we're
going in here.

He then takes her shopping

and buys her her favorite
fish that she likes.

Makes sure she's got cherries
and grapes in the house.

So we'd do some grocery shopping

and then I take her back home.

This is tuna and oil, okay?

And we do that every Saturday.

We might as well buy
out cherries, yeah?

That's her day
that she can go out

and just be her
and laugh and joke.

GEDDY: Now we're good.

WOMAN: It's good
for both of them.

GEDDY: Human beings
afraid of a little water.

It recharges Geddy too.

He sees her happy and smiling,

and she waits for
those Saturdays.

[rain pouring]

INTERVIEWER: What do
you think it takes

to be a mother of a musician?

Oh my God, man, a lot of love.

A lot of love, a lot of support.

WOMAN: When I went to the
first one or two interviews,

I started saying,
wouldn't it be fun

if we at the end of
this, all got together?

Here she comes.

I'm so happy to be here.

I've been teary eyed all day.

You look beautiful.

Thank you, so kind.

Oh my god, I wouldn't
have missed it,

I would have canceled
heaven to be here.

Teresa Carlile is coming too.

Oh yeah?

Yeah.

BEVERLY: Okay.

How are the grand babies?

Good.

Yeah?

All 11 of them.

They're not on the
road, all of them?

MARY: I tell you what...

WOMAN: This is Mary Morello.

This is Janis Winehouse.

They all loved
meeting each other.

As mothers, we often felt alone.

We didn't know what to do and
we flew solo most of the time,

without flight
manuals or guidebooks.

We moms of musicians have
had to do it differently.

I'd like to welcome
you all tonight

to our unique sorority.

I can't possibly tell
you how much it means.

From the time I wrote the
last line of the book,

this is my dream, to
get us all together.

Actually, around this table,
there's 43 Grammys represented.

Wow.

Yeah, and every single
person has at least one.

So, I know.

She was doing the school thing

and the music teacher said,

"Amy, you're singing
that in the wrong note."

She says, "No, I'm not."

He said, "If you don't
sing it correctly,

then you can't do this."

She's like, "Okay."

And she walked off.

That was Amy.

Adam's first
memorable performance,

he basically sang with
his back to the audience.

He was 14 or 15,

I was sitting there like
turn around, turn around,

just turn around.

Very early in Gary career,

the day of the show, Gary
said, "I don't wanna go,

I don't want to-"

I said, "What do you
mean you don't wanna go?"

[all laughing]

You've signed a contract

and they sent you half
the money, you have to go.

And so it was the first time
he had a really big audience

and he got on stage and
the crowd went crazy,

absolutely crazy.

I remember he looked over at
me and he said, "Thank you."

[all cheering]

And that just touched my heart.

Wow.

You win.

[all laughing]

Wow.

[guitar chords playing]

If it doesn't pick, it
doesn't matter, ready?

♪ Well, I guess I'll
take the train ♪

♪ And move far away

♪ Just keep going
'til I forget all ♪

♪ About your face

♪ I'll make my heart forget

♪ About all the love

♪ I'll tell myself
another lie and pretend ♪

♪ That you were never enough

♪ But you were always enough

I hadn't thought of it
from your perspective,

that you were standing
three feet away

from Amy Winehouse's mother

and Amy Winehouse was such
a huge inspiration for you.

It was scarier than playing

in front of 80,000 people.

[all laughing]

I swear it was so nerve wracking

because it's like, just moms.

♪ I'll return to the
left side of my bed ♪

♪ Where lies the blood I bled

♪ Where I lost my head

♪ To you

[all cheering]

[acoustic guitar strumming]

WOMAN: Music is a calling

that doesn't call
softly or politely,

it screams consistently.

Buy that different drum your
rebel has been marching to,

or guitar, fiddle, or trumpet.

Keep talking and listening.

The musician will find a way.

[soft music]