Lemmy Kilmister
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Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (born Ian Fraser Kilmister, December 24 1945, also known as Ian Fraser Willis) is an English bass player and singer. He is known primarily as the founding member and leader of the heavy metal band Motörhead. His unmistakable appearance, with his facial warts, lank hair and gravelly voice have made him a cult figure known well beyond the world of rock music. He is, perhaps more than any other figure, heavy metal personified.
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Lemmy was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and raised in Anglesey. His father, a clergyman, left the family when Lemmy was three months old; the experience helped to imbue a deep hatred of religion in Lemmy and this is reflected in a number of his songs.
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Career
He spent the sixties in a number of small-time bands including Opal Butterfly, Sam Gopal's Dream, and the Rocking Vickers as well as working as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix in 1967 for about six months, and as a roadie for Emerson, Lake & Palmer. In 1971 he joined archetypal space rock UK Underground outfit Hawkwind who were centred around the very in Ladbroke Grove. His distinctive style of bass playing, involving the use of chords rather than the single notes preferred by most players, was a fundamental part of the Hawkwind sound during his tenure. He also provided lead vocals on a number of songs including the band's only UK chart single, Silver Machine, which reached No.3 in 1972.
By 1975 Lemmy's forceful personality and propensity for ingesting copious quantities of amphetamines were leading to conflict with other members, and this culminated with his sacking after being arrested for drug possession while on tour with the band in Canada. Lemmy went on to form a new band with guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Wallis's former bands included the Pink Fairies, Steve Took's Shagrat and UFO. Lemmy's connection with Steve Took (formerly of T Rex) was not limited to Wallis as they were personal friends and Took was the step-father to Lemmy's son Paul.
Originally the band was to be called "Bastard", Lemmy eventually decided upon "Motörhead" when their manager pointed out that "it's very unlikely that we're gonna get on Top of the Pops with a name like 'Bastard'".
After a short period both Wallis and Fox were replaced with guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, and with this line-up the band began to achieve success. The uncompromisingly intense nature of their sound appealed to both Lemmy's original metal/rock constituency as well as the new punk fans--intrigued, perhaps, by Lemmy's brief stint in The Damned--and Lemmy's guttural vocals were unique in the world of rock at that time. The band's success peaked in 1980 with a number of U.K. chart hits, including the classic Ace of Spades — still a crowd favourite today. Motörhead have since gone on to become one of the most influential bands on the heavy metal scene and, although Lemmy is the only constant in a changing line-up, are still performing and releasing records to this day.
Lemmy has also worked with a number of other musicians over his career, and occasionally guests with Hawkwind. He has appeared in films, including Eat the Rich, for which Motörhead also recorded the soundtrack. Lemmy collects Nazi memorabilia and has an Iron Cross encrusted on his bass, which has led to accusations of right-wing extremist tendencies. However Lemmy considers himself to be an anarchist.
Lemmy has a predilection for self-deprecating parody. He once appeared in an advertisement for Kit Kat chocolate bars, miming a piece of chamber music on the violin, in an upper-class tea-room. He has appeared in several films, including Airheads where he shouts (truthfully) about being the editor of his high school newspaper. He has also appeared in several movies from the Troma studio.
He published his autobiography, White Line Fever in November 2002.
Dave Grohl said this: "Fuck Elvis and Keith Richards, Lemmy is the God of Rock 'n' Roll.
Discography
- 1965 The Rockin' Vicars - Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (7")
- 1965 The Rockin' Vicars - It's Alright (7")
- 1966 The Rockin' Vicars - Dandy (7")
- 1969 Sam Gopal - Escalator (EP promo)
- 1969 Sam Gopal - Escalator
- 1970 Opal Butterfly - Groupie Girl (7")
- 1972 Hawkwind - Silver Machine (7")
- 1972 Hawkwind - Doremi Fasol Latido
- 1973 Hawkwind - Lord Of Light (7")
- 1973 Hawkwind - Urban Guerilla (7")
- 1973 Hawkwind - Space Ritual
- 1974 Hawkwind - Hall Of The Mountain Grill
- 1974 Hawkwind - Psychedelic Warlords (7")
- 1974 Robert Calvert - Captain Lockheed And The Starfighters
- 1975 Hawkwind - Kings Of Speed (7")
- 1975 Hawkwind - Warrior On The Edge Of Time
- 1977 Hawkwind - Masters Of The Universe (compilation)
- 1977 Motörhead - Motörhead
- 1979 Motörhead - Overkill
- 1979 Motörhead - On Parole (recorded in 1975)
- 1979 The Damned - I Just Can't Be Happy Today (7")
- 1979 The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette
- 1979 Motörhead - Bomber
- 1980 Motörhead - Ace of Spades
- 1980 The Young & Moody Band - Don't Do That (7")
- 1980 The Young & Moody Band - Don't Do That (12")
- 1981 Motörhead - No Sleep Til Hammersmith
- 1981 Headgirl (Motörhead & Girlschool) - The St. Valentine's Day Massacre
- 1982 Motörhead - Iron Fist
- 1982 Lemmy & Wendy O. Williams - Stand By Your Man
- 1983 Motörhead - Another Perfect Day
- 1984 Motörhead - No Remorse
- 1984 Robert Calvert - Freq
- 1984 Various artists - Hear'n'Aid
- 1985 Hawkwind - Space Ritual Vol. 2 (compilation live)
- 1985 Hawkwind - In the Beginning (live)
- 1986 Motörhead - Orgasmatron
- 1986 Hawkwind - Approved History Of Hawkwind 1967-1982
- 1987 Motörhead - Rock'N'Roll
- 1988 Motörhead - No Sleep At All
- 1988 Albert Jarvinen Band - Countdown
- 1989 Nina Hagen - Nina Hagen
- 1990 Lemmy & The Upsetters - Blue Suede Shoes
- 1990 Various artists - The Last Temptation Of Elvis
- 1991 Motörhead - 1916
- 1992 Motörhead - March ör Die
- 1993 Motörhead - Bastards
- 1993 The Damned - Tales From The Damned
- 1994 Fast Eddie Clarke - It Ain't Over Till It's Over
- 1994 Shonen Knife - Tomato Head (promo single)
- 1994 Shonen Knife - Rock Animals
- 1995 Motörhead - Sacrifice
- 1996 Motörhead - Overnight Sensation
- 1996 Skew Siskin - Electric Chair Music
- 1996 Ugly Kid Joe - Motel California
- 1996 Various artists - Straight Edge as Fuck, Vol. 1-2
- 1996 Myth Dreams of World - Stories of the Greek & Roman Gods & Goddesses
- 1996 Skew Siskin - Voices From The War
- 1997 Various artists - Dragon Attack: A Tribute To Queen
- 1997 The Ramones - We're Outta Here!
- 1998 Motörhead - Snake Bite Love
- 1998 Various artists - Thunderbolt: A Tribute To AC/DC
- 1999 Motörhead - Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
- 1999 Jetboy - Lost & Found
- 1999 Skew Siskin - What The Hell
- 1999 Hawkwind - Epoch Eclipse: 30 Year Anthology (compilation box)
- 1999 A.N.I.M.A.L. - Usa Toda Tu Fuerza
- 1999 Hardware - Original Soundtrack
- 2000 Lemmy - Slim Jim & Danny B - Lemmy - Slim Jim & Danny B
- 2000 Motörhead - We Are Motörhead
- 2000 Motörhead - The Best of Motörhead
- 2000 Motörhead - The Chase Is Better Than The Catch (compilation)
- 2000 Motörhead - Over The Top - The Rarities (compilation)
- 2000 Swing Cats - A Special Tribute To Elvis
- 2000 The Rockin' Vicars - The Complete - It's Alright
- 2000 Various artists - Bat Head Soup - Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne
- 2000 Doro - Calling The Wild
- 2001 Motörhead - All The Aces (compilation)
- 2001 The Pirates - Rock Bottom
- 2001 Various artists - Metallic Assault - A Tribute To Metallica
- 2002 Motörhead - Hammered
- 2002 Various artists - Guitar Greats
- 2002 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Mike Batt and guests - Philharmania
- 2002 Various artists - Metal Brigade
- 2002 Various artists - Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three
- 2003 Motörhead - Stone Deaf Forever (box set 5 cd)
- 2003 Motörhead - Live At Brixton Academy - The Complete Concert
- 2003 Various artists - Ash Wednesday (Original Soundtrack)
- 2003 Ace Sounds - Still Hungry
- 2003 Skew Siskin - Album Of The Year
- 2004 Motörhead - Inferno
- 2004 Probot - Probot
Videography
VHS
- 1982 Live In Toronto - Castle Hendering
- 1984 Another Perfect Day EP
- 1985 Birthday Party
- 1986 Deaf Not Blind
- 1988 EP
- 1991 Everything louder Than Everything Else
DVD
- 2001 25 & Alive Boneshaker - Steamhammer - SPV
- 2002 Motörhead EP
- 2002 The Best of Motörhead
- 2003 The Special Edition EP
- 2004 Everything Louder Than Everything Else
Books
- 2002 White Line Fever (Lemmy Kilmister)
- 2004 La fièvre de la ligne blanche (Lemmy Kilmister) (French version of White Line Fever)
External links
- Rocking Vicars site (http://olddigger.tripod.com/rockinvickers.htm)
- Motörhead official website (http://www.imotorhead.com)
- Motörhead official forum (http://www.imotorhead.com/forum)de:Lemmy Kilmister
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