Lemmy

by Greg PratoFor many, heavy metal is personified by a single person -- unforgettable Motörhead bassist/shouter Lemmy. Born Ian Fraiser Kilmister on December 24, 1945, in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire, England, not much is known about Kilmister's early years, just that he was the son of a vicar. With the British Invasion of the early '60s, the young Kilmister became interested in music, playing in such long-forgotten bluesy rock outfits as the Rainmakers, the Rockin' Vickers, and Opal Butterfly. After serving as Jimi Hendrix's guitar roadie on an early U.K. tour by the legendary American guitarist, Kilmister joined the psychedelic space rock band Hawkwind in 1971, playing bass and occasionally singing (the best known Kilmister-sung track being the U.K. hit "Silver Machine" in 1972). But come early 1975, Kilmister (now known as simply "Lemmy"), was handed his walking papers from Hawkwind after being busted at the Canadian border for drug possession.
Undeterred and growing frustrated with Hawkwind's stagnant musical direction, Lemmy immediately set out to form his next band, which would be far more straightforward, stripped down, loud, heavy, and aggressive than his pervious bands. Dubbed Motörhead (British slang for a speed freak), the group went through several members before settling on the classic trio lineup of Lemmy on bass/vocals, Phil Taylor on drums, and Eddie Clarke on guitar, in 1976. While the band's look was classic heavy metal (long, unwashed stringy hair, denim and leather, etc.), their high-energy music was more aligned to the fleeting sounds of punk rock. 1977 saw the trio's self-titled debut released, and with such classic releases as Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and No Life 'Til Hammersmith issued over the next few years, Motörhead became one of the world's best-known and influential metal bands, lending a hand in creating thrash/speed metal.
While Motörhead's commercial success hit many peaks and valleys since their late-'70s/early-'80s "golden era" (as well as many members coming and going -- Lemmy has been the only constant figure), their fan base remained in tact. In addition to Motörhead, Lemmy has helped co-write tracks for several notable hard rock artists (such as Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne), as well as appearing in such TV shows as The Young Ones and the films Eat the Rich, Decline of Western Civilization, Pt. II, Tromeo and Juliet, and Terror Firmer, as well as having a cameo (fully clothed) in the porno video John Wayne Bobbitt Uncut.