Lemmy Kilmister, Motörhead frontman dead at 70

Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, legendary singer/bassist for Motörhead and former Hawkwind bassist has passed away from cancer.  Lemmy was a Heavy Metal icon and one of the last, true remaining rock stars and this is a tremendous loss for Rock and Roll.

Former Motörhead drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor died aged 61 in November. “Fast” Eddie Clarke, who becomes the last surviving member of the band’s most famous lineup, wrote on Facebook: 

“I have just been told that Lemmy has passed away in LA. Like Phil, he was like a brother to me. I am devastated. We did so much together, the three of us.  The world seems a really empty place right now. I am having trouble finding the words … He will live on in our hearts. RIP Lemmy!”

Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee has also confirmed in an interview that the band is obviously no longer going on without Lemmy;

“Motorhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motorhead,” Dee says. “We won’t be doing any more tours or anything. And there won’t be any more records. But the brand survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone.”

Lemmy was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, on Christmas Eve in 1945. In the early 1960s he was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. He played in several rock bands, including the Rockin’ Vickers, Sam Gopal and most infamously in Hawkwind, before forming Motörhead (originally named Bastard) which was taken from the final song he had written for the band. He was reportedly fired from Hawkwind for “doing the wrong drugs."

Lemmy has publicly struggled with illness in recent years. He underwent surgery to have an implantable defibrillator placed in his chest in 2013, and has cancelled shows due to exhaustion and a haematoma; a solid swelling of clotted blood within tissue.  Motörhead had been scheduled to tour the UK and France in early 2016. 

There will never be another metal god like Lemmy.  No one will ever have the same style, the same gravely voice or the same blitzkrieg bass playing as the mighty Lemmy Kilmister.  He will be sorely missed.  Here's what the official Motörhead Facebook page posted:

"There is no easy way to say this... our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. He had learnt of the disease on December 26th, and was at home, sitting in front of his favorite video game from The Rainbow which had recently made its way down the street, with his family.

We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren't words.

We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please... play Motrhead loud, play Hawkwind loud, play Lemmy's music LOUD. Have a drink or few.

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Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself.

HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.

lan 'Lemmy' Kilmister"