Lemmy, the hard-living and harder rocking frontman of English rock band Motörhead, has died aged 70, just two days after receiving a shock cancer diagnosis on St Stephen's Day.
Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister attained the kind of legendary status even other monsters of rock would envy.
The Motörhead singer and bassist, who formed the band in 1975, cast an imposing image with his mutton chops, moustache, cowboy hat and moles.
He also had a reputation for substance abuse and hard drinking, which may or may not have contributed to the trademark gravel in his voice.
Upon being fired from his previous band, cosmic rockers Hawkwind, he declared, according to the band's website, that it was because he had been "doing the wrong drugs".
In fact, he had been arrested at the Canadian border on suspicion of possessing cocaine and spent five days in prison, causing Hawkwind to cancel some US tour dates.
But his influence on music will be his greatest legacy for fans of the rock 'n' roll and heavy metal genres, as Motörhead crossed boundaries and have been credited with spawning the thrash and speed metal scenes.
Born in Stoke-on-Trent on Christmas Eve 1945 to a father who was an RAF pastor, and mother who was a librarian, Lemmy later became a roadie for Jimi Hendrix.
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
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
He picked up his nickname aged 11, when he moved to Anglesey, north Wales, with his mother and her second husband.
After finishing school, and a brief stint working at a riding school, Lemmy worked at a washing machine factory before moving to Stockport in Manchester where he became involved in the local music scene - eventually joining a band called The Rockin' Vickers.
He left the group in 1967 and moved to London in search of fame and fortune. Five years later he became a bassist for Hawkwind. Despite having no proficiency on the instrument he soon became a key part of the band.
In 1975 he formed Motörhead, but after two years of little recognition and living in squats, the group decided to split and played farewell show at the Marquee Club in London.
But a record producer at the gig offered the band some time in studio to record a single. The group made the most of the opportunity, eventually recording 13 tracks that formed their first album. Called Motörhead, it reached number 43 in the UK charts.
In 1980 the band released their fourth album, Ace of Spades, which went on to become one of their biggest hits, and over the the next 30 years released a further 17 albums.
Lemmy: Rest In Peace, my friend. pic.twitter.com/2M6VPiBGyE
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) December 29, 2015
We’ve lost a friend & legend. My heart is broken. RIP Lemmy. Born To Lose, Lived To Win. https://t.co/6KJ4cBCNfH @myMotorhead
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) December 29, 2015
Words about Lemmy can never be enough so we will simply say farewell Lord Lemmy thank you for the music, the shows, https://t.co/ktbp9TwHEI
— Judas Priest (@judaspriest) December 29, 2015
Malcolm Dome, the co-founder of UK Rock station, Total Rock Radio, told RTÉ that Lemmy's influence was far-reaching and said he leaves behind an enormous legacy to Rock 'n Roll. He said that
it was Lemmy who defined Motörhead and through Motörhead defined so much of music over the past forty years
Dome said that Lemmy had suffered from poor health for some time, even before his recent cancer diagnosis and even though his death wasn't a shock he said his passing was "a massive blow to music lovers everywhere".
Among the many musicians also paying tribute to Lemmy today was Alice Cooper who said he was a once-off.
When we say 'one of a kind' in rock'n roll, Lemmy was the epitome of that - one of the most beloved characters in rock'n roll. I can't think of anyone who didn't adore Lemmy; you can't say 'heavy metal' without mentioning Lemmy.
Lemmy attracted much controversy throughout his career, never making any secret of his alcohol and drug intake, and openly posing in Nazi paraphernalia in 2008.
But he defended the move claiming he did not support the ideology, and was simply a fan of the uniforms.
Lemmy was an avid collector of German military regalia, and had an Iron Cross encrusted on his bass, leading to accusations that he had Nazi sympathies.
However, in a 2010 interview he said:"I only collect the stuff. I didn't collect the ideas."
His death comes little more than a month since that of Motörhead drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.
A statement from Motörhead today paid tribute to Lemmy, whom they described as "our mighty, noble friend" who passed away after "a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer" which he had learnt of on December 26th.
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
