In Memoriam
Lemmy Kilmister
December 24, 1945 – December 28, 2015 · aged 70
Heavy Metal · Hard Rock · Punk Rock
Ian Fraser Kilmister, known entirely to the world as Lemmy, was the living, breathing embodiment of rock and roll. Born in England in 1945, Lemmy founded the legendary power trio Motörhead in 1975 after being fired from the space-rock band Hawkwind. With his mutton chops, cavalry hat, and microphone stand positioned impossibly high, he barked out anthems like 'Ace of Spades' with a gravelly, whiskey-soaked ferocity. Lemmy played his Rickenbacker bass like a rhythm guitar, using heavy distortion and chords to create a deafening wall of sound that bridged the gap between heavy metal and punk rock. He lived exactly as he wrote—fast, loud, and unapologetically wild, famously subsisting on a diet of Jack Daniel's, Marlboros, and amphetamines. Lemmy passed away from an aggressive form of cancer on December 28, 2015, just four days after his 70th birthday. He was the ultimate, uncompromising outlaw of heavy metal.
Milestones
Ace of Spades, Overkill, Motorhead (album)
Also remembered in 2015
- B.B. King (1925–2015)
- Ben E. King (1938–2015)
- Ornette Coleman (1930–2015)
- Scott Weiland (1967–2015)