Lanky and long-haired, with mutton chops and moles, Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister looked and lived like a hard-rock hero. He founded Motorhead in 1975 and continued recording and touring with the band until his death.
He began every legendary live show with the announcement, “We are Motorhead, and we play rock and roll!”
The singer and bassist died Monday at age 70 after a brief battle with aggressive cancer, said his agent Andrew Goodfriend. Kilmister had learned of the diagnosis just two days earlier, according to a statement from the band, and he had also suffered several other health issues in recent months.
“We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words,” the band said in announcing the death on its Facebook page. “Play Motorhead 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.”
Born on Christmas Eve 1945, in Staffordshire, England, Kilmister was deeply respected and revered as a rock master and innovator, from his time with the seminal psychedelic band Hawkwind in the early 1970s to his four decades in Motorhead, best known for the 1980 anthem “Ace of Spades.” The band won a Grammy for 2004’s best metal performance.
Ozzy Osbourne called him “one of my best friends.”
“He will be sadly missed,” Osbourne wrote on Twitter late Monday. “He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side.”
Metallica tweeted: “Lemmy, you are one of the primary reasons this band exists. We’re forever grateful for all of your inspiration.”
And numerous other rock musicians took to social media to pay tribute, including Queen guitarist Brian May, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue and Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, who tweeted, “RIP #Lemmy heaven is Rockin tonight.”
In a Tuesday statement, Alice Cooper said Kilmister was “one of the most beloved characters in rock’n roll. I can’t think of anyone who didn’t adore Lemmy; you can’t say ‘heavy metal’ without mentioning Lemmy.”
The Recording Academy also noted the loss to the music industry, calling Kilmister “a remarkable frontman and bona fide heavy metal icon.”
“His magnetic stage presence and willingness to break barriers propelled the metal genre to new heights, influencing countless fellow musicians in the process,” Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said in a statement. “We have lost a truly dynamic member of the music community.”
Specials drummer John Bradbury, 62
The family of Specials drummer John (Brad) Bradbury has announced that he has died at the age of 62. He was for many years an integral part of the band’s unique ska and reggae sound.
The family and the band announced his death Tuesday. A family statement said he died Monday, but it did not provide the cause of death. A representative for the band said he died in England.
“Brad’s drumming was the powerhouse behind The Specials and it was seen as a key part to the Two Tone sound,” the family statement said. “He was much respected in the world of drumming and his style of reggae and ska was seen as genuinely groundbreaking when The Specials first hit the charts in 1979.”
The Specials’ Twitter site said: “It is with deep regret that we say goodbye to our great friend, the world’s greatest drummer, our beloved Brad. RIP.”
Bradbury was born in Coventry, the band’s home base 95 miles northwest of London, and he joined in 1979 after the original drummer left. He was made a permanent member after playing at the recording session for the single “Gangsters.”
The band shot to popularity as part of the ska revival and found a wide following for political songs like “War Crimes” and “Free Nelson Mandela.”
Bradbury stayed with the band through a number of personnel changes until they disbanded in 1984, only to regroup for a 2009 reunion tour followed by other gigs.
— Associated Press
