Lemmy Kilmister
| Lemmy Kilmister | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Lemmy |
| Born | December 24, 1945 Staffordshire, England |
| Genres | hard rock, heavy metal |
| Occupations | Musician, Songwriter, actor |
| Instruments | Bass, Guitar |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Associated acts | Motorhead |
Lemmy Kilmister (born December 24, 1945 in Burslem, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England) is the bassist of the heavy metal band Motörhead.
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Early years[change]
Kilmister went to school at Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones in Amlwch. At age 16 he attended a concert by The Beatles in the Cavern Club. Lemmy liked the sarcastic attitude of the Beatles, especially John Lennon. Around that time he began playing guitar in small local bands like The Sundowners.
In mid-1960 he played guitar in bands like The Rainmakers, then The Motown Sect, playing clubs in the north. In 1965, he joined the band The Rockin 'Vickers, and signed a contract with CBS. The band released three single albums and toured Europe. In 1967 he moved to London and got a job as a roadie on The Jimi Hendrix Experience. In 1968 he recorded an album titled Escalator with the band Sam Gopal. After that, Lemmy met Simon King in a shopping center in Chelsea and then joined the band Opal Butterfly for a short period.
Lemmy joined the Ladbroke Grove rock band Hawkwind as a bassist and vocalist. He gained experience as a bassist, because until then he had only worked as a guitarist. Lemmy was also lead vocals on several songs for the band.
Motörhead[change]
In 1975, Lemmy founded a new band called Bastard with guitarist Larry Wallis and Lucas Fox on drums. Later, Lemmy changed the name of the band to Motörhead. Wallis and Fox left the band and were replaced by the guitarist Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor. This new formation would begin Motörhead's success in live performances. In 1977, the band recorded their first album, Motörhead, released September 24, 1977. The second album, titled Overkill, contained two songs that would become Motörhead classics: "Louie Louie" and "Overkill". The peak of the band was 1980 and 1981 with a series of chart hits in the UK, including the classic single "Ace of Spades", one of the biggest hits of the band.
Motörhead's members changed throughout the band's career, but Lemmy remained on bass and vocals from their start 1975 until today.
Acting career[change]
Lemmy's career as an actor began by playing small roles in low-budget UK films Eat the Rich (1988) and Hardware (1990). His credits include Terror Firmer (1998), Frezno Smooth (1999), and Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000).
Other websites[change]
- Motörhead official website
- Lemmy: The Movie Official website
- Lemmy Kilmister at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview with Lemmy Kilmister in REVOLUTIONART Magazine 22
- The Rockin' Vickers
- Myspace profile for Lemmy's new band The Head Cat
- Lemmy interview with BIZARRE magazine
- Gallery of Lemmy with Motorhead
- Lemmy Interview in SPIN
- Lemmy Interview on the Jekyll and Hyde Show, 106FM Jerusalem
