'Born to lose, lived to win': Motörhead frontman Lemmy passes away at 70

“You know I’m born to lose, and gambling’s for fools, But that’s the way I like it baby, I don’t wanna live forever…” Or so went the title track from the seminal 1980 album Ace of Spades by Motörhead, whose frontman Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister passed away on Monday night at the age of 70. He had been diagnosed with an ‘extremely aggressive cancer’ on Saturday. Lemmy’s death comes just over a month-and-a-half after the passing of ‘classic Motörhead lineup’ bandmate Phil Taylor. A Facebook post by the band read:

There is no easy way to say this…our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely… Posted by Official Motörhead on  Monday, 28 December 2015

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, on New Year’s Eve 70 years ago, the origins of Lemmy’s nickname lie in an oft-quoted habit he had of reportedly asking people to “lend me” some money (say it quickly and it’ll make sense). At the age of 10, his family moved to Wales, and while “ being the only English kid among 700 Welsh ones didn’t make for the happiest time”, it was an experience that would serve him well for the back-against-the-wall, you-and-me-against-the-world life of being a professional musician. After scratching around in a few bands, it was in 1972 that he got his big break, joining space rockers Hawkwind as a bass guitarist. It was with the London-based band that Lemmy developed his signature bass-playing style — harking back to his experience playing rhythm guitar — eschewing single notes for chords. [caption id=“attachment_2563488” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Lemmy. Reuters[/caption] Lemmy was fired three years later following his arrest on the US/Canada border for possession of drugs. Aside from the fact that the police’s incorrect charges of ‘possession of cocaine’ (it was actually amphetamine or speed) saw him off the hook, it was ironically, the substance that got him kicked out of Hawkwind that led him to his finest hour (weeks, years or even decades if you prefer). ‘Motorhead’ — apparently a colloquialism for someone who took too much speed — would be the name of his new project, with one small exception: The umlaut. Placed above the second ‘o’ in a bid “to look mean”, as Lemmy himself has admitted, Motörhead was still not the first choice. The realisation that a band name like ‘Bastard’ would not get you onto television show Top of the Pops dawned on the band that arguably enjoyed its greatest success between 1976 and 1982 with the lineup of Lemmy, Taylor and guitarist Eddie Clarke. Lemmy wanted his music to be (arguably a lot like he lived his life) fast, loud and raucous, and is widely quoted as having said that it was ‘so loud that if we move in next door to you, your lawn will die’. In an interview with Spin, he clarified, “I stole that quote from Dr Hook. In truth, if you lived next door to us in those days, you probably would’ve never stopped to see if your lawn was dead — you would’ve just moved out because of the f***ing racket”. That ‘f***ing racket’ incidentally was something Lemmy revelled in. Just watch him traumatise a French reporter:

But the loud fast blitzkrieg, powered by the energy of punk — Lemmy, personally felt a greater affinity to punk bands like The Damned and MC5 than Black Sabbath and Judas Priest — would have been nowhere near as influential — and in the process almost single-handedly spawning the genres of thrash metal and speed metal — were it not for the guttural rumblings that originated deep down in Lemmy’s gut, gathered energy up his windpipe, turned gravelly in his throat and were spat out from his mouth. His iconic vocal style is one that has been oft-copied, rarely with so much as a modicum of success. Equally iconic was his persona: Dressed from head-to-toe in denim, with his trademark Rickenbacker bass, thick bushy sideburns and onstage, belting out track after track with his neck tilted back and his microphone placed ludicrously high above his head. Alongside personal comfort, it was the desire in the early days not to see the crowd — which would generally only comprise ‘ 10 people and a dog’ — that led Lemmy to look up in the air and ~sing~ growl. Through his own bands and his collaborations with other artistes, his contribution to music, particularly of the heavy metal variety is undeniable — despite his repeated claims, as recently as last year that he ‘ doesn’t like heavy metal’. But it’s only a part of his pop culture allure. Among non-metal fans, Lemmy has enjoyed a special sort of adoration for… well, simply for being Lemmy. Who else could make prominent facial moles cool? It’s that very attribute that saw him make memorable cameo appearances in films and television shows, become the composer of choice for Paul Levesque (better known as Triple H) in the WWE and appear in this KitKat advertisement:

But at the end of it all, it’s the music we’re going to miss most. And in 2005, the Grammy Award voting members recognised the music and awarded Motörhead the award for Best Metal Performance for their cover of Metallica’s Whiplash. Lemmy, it’s fair to say, was pleased. “It’s about bloody time,” he said, adding, “Nobody deserves it more, although I’m too modest to say it.” In the hours after his passing, tributes poured in from peers, fans and well-wishers. Here’s a small selection:

Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today. He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side.

— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) December 29, 2015

He lived a life of dreams and he went out on top. He was Motörhead and HE PLAYED ROCK & ROLL!!! https://t.co/7wZXgBksq6

— Scott Ian (@Scott_Ian) December 29, 2015

#RIPLemmy
One life, lived your way, from the beginning, till the end
See you down the road my friend...
Thank you for the gift of your sound

— Triple H (@TripleH) December 29, 2015

Damn, RIP #Lemmy pic.twitter.com/6YAUm5HC3F

— Living Colour (@LivingColour) December 29, 2015

Rest In Peace Lemmy. A hell of a man who suffered no fools. U shall be missed brother, and, THANK u 4 the years of unwavering kick ass R&R.

— Duff McKagan (@DuffMcKagan) December 29, 2015

I’ll miss you buddy and our conversations. You were always a pilar of dignity. RIP #Lemmy pic.twitter.com/da7YV08V1W

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) December 29, 2015

Lemmy, you are one of the primary reasons this band exists. We're forever grateful for all of your inspiration. RIP pic.twitter.com/WC1csn5F5x

— Metallica (@Metallica) December 29, 2015

Oh, and Him too:

RIP Lemmy.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) December 29, 2015

But wait a minute!

“In your twenties, you think you are immortal. In your thirties, you hope you are immortal. In your forties, you just pray it doesn’t hurt too much, and by the time you reach my age, you become convinced that, well, it could be just around the corner. Do I think about death a lot? It’s difficult not to when you’re 65, son,” Lemmy told The Independent in 2010. Think about those words. Now turn up your speakers and blast this as loud as you possibly can: