Lemmy

A notorious hellraiser famed for his mutton chops, high microphone position and colossal intake of drugs and alcohol, Lemmy paved the way for generations of thrash metal bands as the lynchpin of fast and furious rockers Motorhead. Born Ian Fraser Kilmister in Burslem, Staffordshire, Lemmy acquired his nickname at high school and inspired by The Beatles, first began performing with local bands such as The Sundowners, The Rainmakers and The Motown Sect in the mid-60s. Following a two-year stint as guitarist in British R&B outfit The Rockin' Vickers and a brief spell as a roadie for The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Lemmy became the frontman of psychedelic rockers Sam Gopal, with whom he recorded the 1969 album Escalator. Despite his lack of experience as a bassist, Lemmy was invited to replace Dave Anderson in ever-changing space rock outfit Hawkwind in 1971, and his distinctive style of playing, and occasional lead vocal duties, soon became pivotal to the band's success, most notably with their U.K. No. 3 hit "Silver Machine." Lemmy was sacked from the group in 1975 following an arrest for drugs possession during a North American tour, but bounced back immediately by forming speedfreak rock n' roll outfit Motorhead. The core line-up of Lemmy, 'Fast' Eddie Clarke and Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor was credited with re-energising the late 70s/early 80s metal scene, while Lemmy's distinctive look, gravelly vocals and hard-living lifestyle saw him hailed as one of the era's ultimate hard rock heroes. After releasing their signature hit, "Ace of Spades," in 1980, and topping the UK charts with live album, No Sleep 'til Hammersmith a year later, Lemmy also began exploring other creative avenues, recording an E.P. with Wendy O Williams and taking the first of many minor acting roles in black comedy "Eat the Rich" (1987). Lemmy continued to pursue various side projects while recording and touring with Motorhead throughout the next 20 years, forming rockabilly supergroup The Head Cat with Slim Jim Phantom and Danny B. Harvey in 2000, recounting everything from his legendary amphetamine appetite to his love of Nazi memorabilia in 2002 autobiography White Line Fever, and starring in the acclaimed big-screen rockumentary "Lemmy" (2010). Motorhead enjoyed something of a second wind as they entered their fourth decade, picking up their first ever Grammy Award in 2005 and scoring their highest-charting entry on the Billboard 200 with 2013's Aftershock. However, just four months after releasing their 22nd, and sadly final, record Bad Magic in 2015, Lemmy passed away from an aggressive bout of cancer at his Los Angeles home aged 70.