Lemmy Kilmister is a cult rock musician and the permanent leader of the Motörhead band. During his lifetime, he managed to become a real legend. Despite the fact that Lemmy passed away in 2015, for many he remains immortal, as he left behind a rich musical legacy.
Kilmister did not need to try on someone else's image. Fans remember him as the owner of a rough voice and a bright stage image. When Lemmy took the stage, the audience cheered. The charisma that the artist radiated charged everyone who was present at the group's concerts.
Lemmy Kilmister: Childhood and youth
Lemmy (Ian Fraser) Kilmister was born on December 24, 1945 in the small town of Burslem (UK). Ian Fraser is a premature baby, he was born a month and a half ahead of the expected date.
The boy's parents were not associated with creativity. For example, the head of the family served in the British Air Force. Lemmy Kilmister spoke negatively about his father. The family broke up almost immediately after his birth. And the so-called "dad" practically did not take part in the upbringing, not to mention the minimum material support. Mom remarried, and the boy was raised by his stepfather.
Perhaps it was precisely because of the lack of fatherly upbringing that Lemmy turned off the wrong path from an early age. Kilmister liked to drink hard liquor, and later he began to use drugs.
He grew up as a very difficult child. Mom repeatedly had to blush for her son. At school, the guy studied poorly, was a little interested in sports, and, of course, music.
As a young man, Lemmy was part of The Rockin' Vickers. If you believe the words of the artist, then during the tour he witnessed an unidentified object flying in the sky. The musicians saw a pink ball of indefinite size on the horizon. The ball appeared as if from nowhere and abruptly froze in place. Lemmy claims that the UFO flew almost over his head and then disappeared.
The Rockin' Vickers is Kilmister's first band. The experience that he received in the group played a fatal role. And the guy finally understood in which direction he wants to develop further.
The creative path of Lemmy Kilmister
The group, thanks to which the musician gained the first “portion” of popularity, was called Hawkwind. The guys created tracks in the genre of psychedelic space rock. An interesting story happened with Lemmy in this team.
Space rock refers to a musical genre that combines psychedelic rock, as well as elements of electronic music and "space" themes. It is characterized by the active use of synthesizers, as well as experiments with guitar sound.
A few hours before the start of the concert, the band's bassist disappeared without explaining to the rest of the band why he would not be at the performance. When the guys realized that they were left without a bassist, Kilmister took the instrument and went on stage, although he had no experience in the rhythm section before.
Then it turned out that in the mid-1970s, this bassist was arrested by the police, who suspected him of possession and transportation of drugs. When they wrote the protocol, they wrote down the wrong substances, and the next day he was released. When he appeared in the band Hawkwind, Lemmy was asked to give the instrument. And he was left without a "place in the sun."
Creation of the Motörhead band
Kilmister did not like this turn of events. He swore to himself that he would create an independent team. Actually, this is how Motörhead appeared. Lemmy named his brainchild in honor of the composition, which he wrote specifically for the Hawkwind band.
During his creative career, the musician has released more than 20 worthy LPs. But the most amazing thing is that the artist managed to play more than 5 thousand concerts around the world. He created very specific music, which rarely managed to take positions in the prestigious charts.
The musician was polite with his fans. For example, in the early 1980s, he allowed Lars Ulrich to visit the recording studio during the production of the Iron Fist LP. Moreover, a photo of Lars was on the back cover of the record.
Kilmister had a stage image thought out to the smallest detail. He performed in a black hat with a cockade in the form of a buttonhole of the cavalry of the United States of America. The belt of the celebrity was a bandolier, numerous medals adorned his chest. He had a mustache and sideburns, but no beard. All this allowed Lemmy to be different from other artists.
Lemmy Kilmister: Details of his personal life
It is noteworthy that the artist did not marry any of his chosen ones. However, this did not prevent the birth of two illegitimate sons of a celebrity - Paul and Sean.
Lemmy was sure that he had not lost anything, that he had been single all his life. The man said that there is not a single happy family in the world. He did not have before his eyes an example of a wonderful relationship between a man and a woman.
Journalists said that the rocker brought about 2 thousand women to his bed. The celebrity denied the information, assuring that he managed to put only 1 thousand beauties to bed. He began to have sex early.
It was no secret to the fans that their idol used drugs and alcohol. The only thing the artist has not tried is heroin. In the early 1980s, he needed a blood transfusion. But the doctor said that someone else's blood would kill him, and his own were real toxins.
Fans who want to get into the biography of an idol can read the autobiographical book On Autopilot. In the publication, Lemmy introduced readers to the amazing stories of his turbulent personal and creative life.
The artist had several tattoos. One in the form of a leaf of marijuana was on the right hand. And on the chest is a beautiful Phoenix bird.
Interesting facts about Lemmy Kilmister
- The artist proposed to legalize heroin. However, he never tried this type of drug, because he considered it the most dangerous.
- He collected Nazi relics.
- As you know, Lemmy is the creative pseudonym of the artist, which he received in high school.
- At the beginning of his creative career, the musician went on stage in a cassock. He tried on this image while being part of The Rockin' Vickers.
- He was a fan of wrestling, so his team took part in WWE fights.
Death of Lemmy Kilmister
The musician died on December 28, 2015. The artist suffered from prostate cancer. The cause was heart failure and cancer.
