Lemmy

**Ian Fraser** "**Lemmy**" **Kilmister** (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), commonly known by **Lemmy**, was a British musician, singer-songwriter and actor. He was best known as the bassist of the heavy metal band Motörhead.

## Early years

Lemmy was born in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. He went to school at Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones in Amlwch, Wales. At age 16 he attended a concert by The Beatles in the Cavern Club. Lemmy liked the sarcastic attitude of the Beatles, especially John Lennon. Around that time he began playing guitar in small local bands like The Sundowners.

In mid-1960, he played guitar in bands like The Rainmakers, then The Motown Sect, playing clubs in the north. In 1965, he joined the band The Rockin 'Vickers, and signed a contract with CBS. The band released three single albums and toured Europe. In 1967, he moved to London and got a job as a roadie on The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1968, he recorded an album titled _Escalator_ with the band Sam Gopal. After that, Lemmy met Simon King in a shopping centre in Chelsea and then joined the band Opal Butterfly for a short period.

Lemmy joined the Ladbroke Grove rock band Hawkwind as a bassist and vocalist. He gained experience as a bassist, because until then he had only worked as a guitarist. Lemmy was also lead vocals on several songs for the band.

## Motörhead

In 1975, Lemmy founded a new band called Bastard with guitarist Larry Wallis and Lucas Fox on drums. Later, Lemmy changed the name of the band to Motörhead. Wallis and Fox left the band and were replaced by the guitarist Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor. This new formation would begin Motörhead's success in live performances. In 1977, the band recorded their first album, _Motörhead_, released 24 September 1977. The second album, titled _Overkill_, contained two songs that would become Motörhead classics: "Louie Louie" and "Overkill". The peak of the band was 1980 and 1981 with a series of chart hits in the UK, including the classic single "Ace of Spades", one of the biggest hits of the band.

Motörhead's members changed throughout the band's career, but Lemmy remained on bass and vocals from their start 1975 until his death in December 2015.

## Acting career

Lemmy's career as an actor began by playing small roles in low-budget UK films _Eat the Rich_ (1988) and _Hardware_ (1990). His credits include _Terror Firmer_ (1998), _Frezno Smooth_ (1999), and _Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV_ (2000).

## Death

On 28 December 2015, Lemmy died of prostate cancer, cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, California at the age of 70.

## Other websites

- Motörhead official website
- Lemmy: The Movie Official website
- Interview with Lemmy Kilmister in REVOLUTIONART Magazine 22
- The Rockin' Vickers
- Myspace profile for Lemmy's new band The Head Cat
- Lemmy interview with BIZARRE magazine
- Gallery of Lemmy with Motorhead
- Lemmy Interview  in SPIN
- Lemmy Interview  on the Jekyll and Hyde Show, 106FM Jerusalem

## Infobox (musical artist)

- **background**: non_vocal_instrumentalist
- **instrument**: Bass guitar, Bass, Guitar, Harmonica
- **name**: Lemmy
- **birth name**: Ian Fraser Kilmister
- **img**: Lemmy-02.jpg
- **img capt**: Lemmy in 2005
- **birth place**: Burslem, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom, UK
- **death place**: Los Angeles, California, United States, U.S.
- **alias**: Lemmy
- **genre**: hard rock, heavy metal music, heavy metal
- **occupation**: Musician, songwriter, actor
- **associated acts**: Motörhead
Hawkwind
- **years active**: 1959–2015