Lemmy Kilmister: Dogged Insolence in the Face of Mounting Opposition to the Contrary
12/30/2015
In 2013, at the age of 67, rock icon Lemmy Kilmister, best known for his work as the leader of thrash metal progenitors, Motörhead, had a cardioverter defibrillator implanted in his chest. Though his notorious drug usage had been restricted since the early 90s when he began suffering from diabetes and hypertension, he refused to completely give up drinking and smoking after the procedure. It did make him reduce his alcohol intake. He finally gave up his “daily bottle of Jack Daniel’s” habit that he’d had since the mid-70s. Still, he readily admitted he had could not completely give up alcohol and cigarettes. He called this refusal, “Dogged insolence in the face of mounting opposition to the contrary.” That phrase may well distill not only Kilmister’s life, but the entire philosophy of Rock ‘n’ Roll as well.
More than two years later, just days after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, Kilmister died at about 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time in his two-bedroom apartment not far from his favorite hang-out, the Rainbow Bar & Grill, on Sunset Boulevard, where he was often enthralled in the playing of a particular video game. When Kilmister became too ill to leave his apartment, the owners of the Rainbow had the game moved to his home so he could continue to play it. It is said that Kilmister died sitting upright in a stool in front of the machine. I could also imagine a cigarette in one hand and a half-empty highball of Jack nearby. He had just turned 70 four days earlier.
Kilmister had fulfilled a desire, or what was really a promise. Despite the belief of legions that he was immortal, he had stated countless times on record, “I don’t wanna live forever.” He is survived by his various families: Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Rockin’ Vickers, Opal Butterfly, The Damned, The Head Cat, Girlschool, and Sam Gopal; and children Slayer, Venom, Metallica, Megadeth, and more than a million other rock bands. Motörhead was nominated for a Grammy in 1991 for best metal performance for their album ‘1916’.
Motörhead announced the singer’s passing on its Facebook page by saying:
“There is no easy way to say this…our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. He had learnt of the disease on December 26th, and was at home, sitting in front of his favorite video game from The Rainbow which had recently made it’s way down the street, with his family.
“We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words.
“We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please…play Motörhead loud, play Hawkwind loud, play Lemmy’s music LOUD.
Have a drink or few.
“Share stories.
“Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself.
“HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.
“Ian ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister
“1945 -2015
“Born to lose, lived to win.”
This is my story to share:
I saw Motörhead only once. That was November 26, 1988, when they opened for Slayer at the old Austin Opera House. Aside from getting bruised and battered in hell’s mosh pit during “Ace of Spades,” there is one thing seared upon my memory from the show. Kilmister was not too fond of stage divers. He basically told them to stay the hell off his stage. “I’ve been workin’ more than 20 years to earn my way up here,” he said. “The hell if I’m gonna let you up here without earning it.”
Most Motörhead and metal fans could go on and on about how Kilmister invented speed metal, punk, and all that, and how the strumming and double-stop style of bass-playing he began developing during his stint with Hawkwind in the early 70s laid the foundation for those genres. I don’t wanna do that. I’m going to do just as Motörhead suggests on their Facebook page. I’m going to honor the great Ian Fraser “Lemmy” (a sobriquet he purportedly earned in school for his rampant requests to fellow students to “lend me” a quid or two) Kilmister by playing Motörhead and Hawkwind as loud as I can. My head may explode, but I can’t think of a better way to go other than sitting in front of my favorite video game, cigarette in my hand, half-empty highball…
Rock In Perpetuity along with Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, D. Boone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, John Enwistle, and all the other gods and goddesses on that great concert stage in the sky Mr. Kilmister – you earned it.
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