Of all articles, tributes, and retrospectives on the life and times of Lemmy Kilmister within the coming days and most of them won’t even do him justice.
Not because the media is full of inadequate journalists, but because every single nice thing one could say about Lemmy would probably result in him rolling his eyes or shrugging it off as if you’re idolizing him for something as simple as breathing. This is why I nearly panicked when I was asked to write this dedication. How am I going to pull something together that can say all that needs to be said without sounding like something Lemmy would hate? What can I say that ten thousand other writers haven’t already said? Where do I start? But the answer was clear; I didn’t need to make an emotional production or a two thousand word essay on how he was a legend.
The best way to talk about Lemmy Kilmister, is the same way he played music and lived his life: straight up honesty with no lavish production or pretentious self-promotion.
I’ve never been a writer of puff pieces and as sure as you are sitting there reading this, I’m not going start now with an article about this guy.
“If you’re going to be a rockstar, go be one! People don’t want to see the guy next door on stage, they want to see a being from another planet. You want to see somebody you’d never meet in ordinary life” – Lemmy Kilmister
There’s no denying how iconic Lemmy was. Despite influencing thousands of artists, his blues-based brand of hard rock was never duplicated. The signature teeth-rattling bass, gravely, whiskey stained vocals, and the piercing squeal your ears get after listening to any Motörhead record at any volume. Some say he is single-handedly responsible for creating what many call Heavy Metal and while that is debatable, it’s hard to think of any artist who played their music with such attitude and poise the way Motörhead did. In fact, Lemmy did it for over 40 years and dressed like a biker pirate! The hat and mutton chop sideburns are synonymous with Lemmy as Lemmy is to Motörhead.
Even if you don’t like the genre, you’ve heard Motörhead or at least someone who has been inspired by them.
“If you can give kids a good time, then that’s all it’s for. Forget art and all that. That’s what rock n’ roll was about in the first place and as far as I’m concerned, that’s what it’s still about. I’m trying to give them that feeling that I felt the first time I heard All Shook Up or Good Golly Miss Molly. I just want to send that shiver up their back because it’s the best thing I’ve ever felt.” – Lemmy Kilmister
Unlike other popular artists who died tragically at the hands of addictions or other personal demons, Lemmy managed to live his life to the fullest without compromise.
Lemmy drank heavily, ran women, lived in and out of hotels, (with pizzas in the drawers…look up that quote, it’s hilarious!) and he put his body through all sorts of distress that would kill any other human. By all rights, he should’ve been dead years ago! However, he gave the Reaper the middle finger as he chugged hard liquor and played rock n’ roll like there was no tomorrow.
His stint with music goes back to being a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and ends with him doing shows while battling an unpublicized terminal illness. During Motörhead’s final tour, there were many cancellations due to Lemmy’s health and sometimes the cancellations happened during the middle of a song. Even then, there was no PR representative who came out on stage to let the audience know the show wasn’t going to go on, it was Lemmy himself. That authenticity and one-on-one with the fans set him apart from other god-like greats in the music industry.
“Death is an inevitability isn’t it? You become more aware of that when you get to my age. I don’t worry about it, I’m ready for it. When I go, I want to go doing what I do best. If I died tomorrow, I couldn’t complain. It’s been good.” – Lemmy Kilmister
See the quote above? That’s not a pretentious, cryptic, that’s how he lived his life from the get-go!
It wasn’t a plane crash, a self-inflicted bullet wound, or overindulgence that took him out, it was his health. Something that takes out millions of people everyday. His death is a surreal reminder how despite the influence, persona or untouchable status, rock stars are still just people. They have cooler jobs and express their feelings better than some of us, but they live and die just like the rest of us. Lemmy was no exception and he knew this. That’s why when people would gush over his influence he’d shrug it off. “It’s only rock n’ roll” he’d often say. He was right. It is only rock n’ roll but there will never be anyone who presents it quite like he did.