Lemmy (1945–2015)

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Biography

Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy Kilmister, Lemmy from Motörhead or simply 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, and a member of Hawkwind from 1971 to 1975.

In Their Own Words (5)

If you can give the kids a good time then that’s all it’s for. Forget art and all that – that’s bullshit. If you can send that shiver down a kid’s back then that’s what it’s all about. All else is bullshit.

2006

You can’t keep guys faithful. If people want to get married and then run around, I think that’s dishonest. If you’re going to get married, get fucking married and that’s it. I never saw a chick that could stop me looking at all the others, so I didn’t.

1999

We wanna be like Status Quo and go on forever. Chuck Berry never changed. Little Richard never changed. I’d rather be like that and stick to a formula we’re happy with.

1980

You can't have everything, can you? Where would you put it?

2010

In your twenties, you think you are immortal. In your thirties, you hope you are immortal. In your forties, you just pray it doesn’t hurt too much, and by the time you reach my age, you become convinced that, well, it could be just around the corner.

2015

Timeline

The story of Lemmy, told in moments.

1945 Birth

Born Ian Fraser Kilmister in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Never knew his father. Got the nickname Lemmy in school. Nobody remembers why.

How did you get the nickname Lemmy when nobody remembers why? Did never knowing your father shape you? Was Stoke-on-Trent the right place to not fit in?

1971 Life

Played bass in Hawkwind, the space rock band. Fired in 1975 after being arrested at the Canadian border for drug possession. He'd actually been carrying amphetamines, not the cocaine they thought.

Was getting fired from Hawkwind for the wrong drug darkly funny? Did amphetamines vs cocaine really matter at the border? Was the firing the best thing that happened to you?

1975 Event

Founded Motorhead. Named after the last song he wrote for Hawkwind. Played bass like a rhythm guitar through a cranked Marshall. The sound was loud enough to loosen fillings. "We are Motorhead, and we play rock 'n' roll."

Was naming the band after your last Hawkwind song an act of revenge? Did playing bass like a rhythm guitar feel natural? Is 'we play rock and roll' the most honest mission statement in music?

1980 Event

Released Ace of Spades. The title track became a metal anthem. Speed, volume, Lemmy's gravelly bark. The album bridged punk and heavy metal. It reached number four in the UK.

Did Ace of Spades reaching number four feel like vindication? Was bridging punk and metal deliberate or accidental? Is speed and volume a philosophy?

2015 Death

Died at his apartment in Los Angeles, four days after his 70th birthday. Prostate cancer and cardiac arrhythmia. He'd been drinking Jack and Coke and playing video poker at the Rainbow Bar the night before.

Was Jack and Coke and video poker at the Rainbow your perfect evening? Did you know the cancer had caught up? What would you say to someone afraid of living loud?