Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead vocalist, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he was the only continuous member. Kilmister had previously been a member of Hawkwind from 1971 to 1975, before being sacked from that band.
A foundational force in the genre following the advent of the new wave of British heavy metal, Lemmy was known for his appearance, which included his signature friendly mutton chops, his military-influenced fashion sense and his gravelly rasp of a voice. It was once declared "one of the most recognisable voices in rock". He was also noted for his unique posture when singing, which was once described as "looking up towards a towering microphone tilted down into his weather-beaten face". He was also known for his bass playing style, using his Rickenbacker bass to create an "overpowered, distorted rhythmic rumble". A notable aspect of his bass sound was his guitar-like riffing, often playing power chords using heavily overdriven tube stacks by Marshall.
Lemmy was born in Stoke-on-Trent and grew up between there, the nearby towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Madeley, and later in the village of Benllech, Anglesey, Wales. Also at a later point briefly at Gwrych Castle, Abergele. He was influenced by rock and roll and the early works of the Beatles, which led to him playing in several rock groups in the 1960s, such as the Rockin' Vickers. He worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and the Nice before joining the space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, singing lead vocals on their hit "Silver Machine". In 1975, he was fired from Hawkwind after an arrest for drug possession. That same year, he founded Motörhead. The band's success peaked around 1980 and 1981, including the hit single "Ace of Spades" and the best-selling live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981).
Lemmy continued to record and tour regularly with Motörhead until his death on 28 December 2015 in Los Angeles, where he had lived since 1990. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer two days before his death. Alongside his music career, he had minor roles and cameos in film and television. He was known for his hard-living, road-driven lifestyle, which included chain-smoking and daily consumption of large amounts of alcohol and amphetamine.
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Motörhead honor Lemmy Kilmister’s 80th birthday with "The Löst Tapes, Vol. 7," featuring his legendary 50th birthday show from 1995.
A long-lost 1976 Motörhead studio session featuring Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke, and Phil Taylor will be released as The Manticore Tapes on June 27.
Motörhead has released a new limited edition book called “Ye Book of Inconsequential Scribbles,” which collects the late Lemmy Kilmister’s doodles into a coffee table book and more.
The great Lemmy Kilmister has been gone for nearly nine years, but his stories live on. Now fans can enjoy some of those stories with a new book called “No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories of Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead.”
The late, great Lemmy Kilmister was a rock and roll icon through and through, but he also had a deep love for rockabilly. Now, BMG is reissuing several pieces of Headcat’s recorded output.
