Rock 'n' roll legend had been battling a series of health issues
BY ALEX YOUNGON DECEMBER 28, 2015, 8:37PM
Lemmy Kilmister, founding member and frontman of Motörhead. has died. He was 70 years old.
The band's official Facebook confirmed Kilmister's passing, "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 it’s way down the street, with his family," the statement continued. "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 Motörhead loud, play Hawkwind loud, play Lemmy’s music LOUD. Have a drink or few. Share stories. Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself. HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT."
Many of his heavy metal brethren took to Twitter to pay tribute to the inimitable artist. Radio personality Eddie Trunk was the first to report Kilmister's passing, "Sorry to report that I have confirmed Lemmy has passed away just now at the age of 70. RIP to a true original icon of rock."
"Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today," Ozzy Osbourne tweeted. "He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side."
Lemmy had been suffering from a number of well-publicized health issues, including hematoma and had been fitted with an implantable defibrillator to correct an irregular heartbeat.
Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister was born Staffordshire, England in 1945. Inspired to become a musician after seeing The Beatles perform in concert, Lemmy spent his 20s playing in a variety of bands, and also served as a roadie in the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
In 1972, he was hired to play bass in the UK space rock group Hawkwind, despite having no previous experience on the instrument. He quickly honed his skills, helping shape the band’s sound on critically acclaimed albums such Space Ritual, while also signing lead vocals on the song “Silver Machine”, which peaked at No. 3 on the UK charts.
Lemmy was lead vocalist, bassist, principal songwriter and the founding, and the only constant member of Motörhead since the band’s formation in 1975. To date, Motörhead have released twenty studio albums and achieved 30 million in sales worldwide.
Motörhead saw far more commercial success in the UK, though they achieved a cult following in the US. Their ferocious hard-rock style rejuvenated the metal genre in the late 1970s and inspired everyone from Metallica to Guns N’ Roses to Dave Grohl. Albums such as Ace of Spades, Orgasmatron, and Rock N’ Roll were critically lauded, though ironically the band’s only Grammy Award came via a cover of Metallica’s “Whiplash”, which they recorded for a tribute CD.
Lemmy’s outlandish behavior further fueled his icon status. He was fired from Hawkwind after being arrested at the Canadian border for drug possession, yet his appetite for drugs and alcohol remained a constant throughout most of his career. He famously claimed he had drunken a bottle of Jack Daniel’s every day since turning 30, and he was also a proponent of amphetamines.
Lemmy also dabbled in acting with cameos in films such as Airheads, Hardware, and even Foo Fighters’ video for “White Limo”.
