Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister, lead singer in the British heavy metal band Motörhead, has died at the age of 70.
The controversial rock icon died mere days after learning that a terminal cancer was ravaging his body, and he passed away quietly at his home in Los Angeles. The surviving band members requested fans “play Lemmy’s music LOUD. Have a drink or few. Share stories. Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself.”
Tributes from rock peers poured in for the heavy metal giant, close pal Ozzy Osbourne tweeted: “Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today. He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side.”
Lemmy’s very public health struggles had intensified in recent years. The singer underwent surgery to have an implantable defibrillator placed in his chest in 2013, caused by years of chain smoking, and was forced to cancel shows in recent years due to exhaustion and a haematoma.
The band had been scheduled to tour the UK and France in early 2016, the fate of the tour is now obviously in doubt.
Lemmy was born in Burslem, Staffordshire, on Christmas Eve in 1945. His musical career began in the early 1960s as a roadie for the late great Jimi Hendrix. Motörhead’s loud sound, and fast style was a pioneering force in heavy metal. Lemmy’s growling vocals and aggressive bass playing has been emulated by countless other bands that saw him as a trailblazer for their craft.
Despite the band’s massive success, Lemmy said in interviews over the years that he had made more money from writing Osbourne’s 1991 hit “Mama I’m Coming Home” than from the entire Motörhead music catalog.
He told the British tabloid ‘The Guardian’ earlier this year: “I didn’t really want to be in the lifestyle without the music. And I didn’t want to be in the music without the lifestyle.”
The fast living and much beloved metal god appears to have died as he lived, as an unpredictable force of nature that was ready to take a final bow at any time.
Only Heaven gets to see his encore now.
