[1][2] His father, Amos, was a photographer who developed his craft in Nova Scotia but transferred his business to Montreal in 1892 when the Gitz was young.

He earned the nickname "Gitz" from his eldest brother Charles, due to his odd walking style during his earliest years.

[3] Rice enlisted in the army on the exact day Britain declared war on Germany in 1914, beginning as a gunnery officer.

[5] Having developed a reputation for writing numerous popular war songs, Rice moved to New York City in 1919 to pursue an entertainment career further.

[6] He went on to create the successful vaudeville act "Gitzy Rice and His North West Mounted Police," which featured performers in Royal Canadian Mounties uniforms.

[1] Rice stopped performing in 1930 in order to enter a public relations career, though he returned to the stage to entertain Canadian troops during World War II.