December 28, 2015

"Earlier this year, he said he had switched from his usual drink, Jack Daniels and Coke, to a healthier alternative: orange juice and vodka."

"'Apparently I am still indestructible,' he said."

RIP, Lemmy. He was 70.

I just relistened to his interview with Marc Maron, from last September. You can listen here.

25 comments:

chickelit said...

Lemmy in shorts

Gahrie said...

The ugliest man in rock, but one of the hardest rockers out there. He will be missed.

Wince said...

Lemmy ...considers himself an anarchist or libertarian, and that he is "anti-communism, fascism, any extreme," saying that "government causes more problems than it solves."

Ben Calvin said...

70 for Lemmy was 140 in human years. I saw Motörhead April. While you could see age was finally catching up with him, he was determined to deliver the goods until the end!

Ben Calvin said...

He was from your generation Ann. Saw the Beatles before they had a record deal, was a roadie for Jimi Hebdrix.

gspencer said...

After following the Keith Richard's model, he thought he had it in the bag.

sojerofgod said...

This is stunning.

How in the hell did this man ever live to be 70? I think the switch to Vodka from Jack and Coke probably did him in. After so many years in "the groove" with one drink it is not surprising the switch hit a thin spot and did him in.

Mick said...

Lemmy's Motorhead does the Stones

http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/08/motorhead-cover-rolling-stones-sympathy-for-the-devil-listen/

Mick said...

Lemmy covers Jumpin' Jack Flash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoxdH4FWuhg

Mick said...

Lemmy's Autobiography, when he was 57

https://books.google.com/books?id=1dpUVzvVVAcC

"He made Keith Richards look like a choirboy and Mick Jagger look like a nun".

"Ian Fraser Kilmister learned early, he as he forthrightly puts it, "what an incredible pussy magnet guitars were."

That's true, chicks dig guitars

"Lemmy would also cheat death on more than one occasion, most notoriously in 1980, when his doctor told him, 'I cannot give you a blood transfusion because normal blood will kill you...and your blood would kill another human being, because you're so toxic.'"

Lemmy was Rock and Roll to the bone and to the end.



Ann Althouse said...

"He was from your generation Ann. Saw the Beatles before they had a record deal, was a roadie for Jimi Hebdrix [sic]."

I mainly only know him from the Marc Maron interview. It's not the kind of music I have cared about. The facts you mention are discussed in the interview. I found him quite lovable in the interview. He was obviously dealing with some lung problems and he talked about needing to walk with canes because of diabetes. His speech was slurred, but he seemed sharp enough mentally and maintained real attitude, which impressed me. I'm impressed more now knowing how close he was to death. He expressed a lot of hatred for his father, who was a Church of England priest who abandoned the family.

Maron was different in this interview than in all the other interviews. I can't tell if he's just an immense fan or whether he was carrying a great burden getting an interview out of this man.

Ann Althouse said...

Was he from my generation? He was born on Christmas Eve in the awesome year 1945. He could have been conceived on V-E day (if he was a little premature).

Phil 314 said...

Who knew Mick was a Motorhead fan!

tim maguire said...

I first saw them in a Young Ones episode 30 years ago. I wasn't a fan exactly, but I liked that they existed. A 70 year old Lemmy makes me feel old.

tim maguire said...

Mick said..."Ian Fraser Kilmister learned early, he as he forthrightly puts it, "what an incredible pussy magnet guitars were."

My first time reading that sentence, I wondered, "what's a magnet guitar and why does Lemmy hate them?"

Mick said...

Phil 3:14 said...
"Who knew Mick was a Motorhead fan!"

Not much of a "metal" fan really, but I liked some of it, and especially like the Stones covers. I admire the aura of the man so committed to his craft.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Apparently I am still indestructible...

Needs a Things are not what they seem tag.

MAJMike said...

Obviously the orange is to blame. Should've switched to gin and tonic with a twist of lime. The health benefits of gin and tonic are numerous.

Anonymous said...

Apparently he was diagnosed the 26th and died the 28th. There was the suggestion last night that he may have killed himself or 'hastened death' at least, but it was just a theory from ppl who have had relatives facing similar situations.

CatherineM said...

SOJO, I bet it wasn't suicide. It's just he went to the get it checked out too late. He sounds like he's been in bad shape for a while with the diabetes and bad lungs. I bet seeing family for the holidays someone insisted he see someone or perhaps there was an emergency, but he was already dying.

Robert Cook said...

I was never a fan of Motorhead, but a woman I know was such a fan that she named her daughter Lemmy. I haven't seen this woman in years, but her daughter would be about 18 years old now.

Wince said...

Lemmy was known to sit at the end of the bar for hours on end at LA's Wiskey.

So it was fitting there was a good turn-out for Lemmy's 70th at the Wiskey in LA on Dec 13th, presumably before his diagnosis was known.

http://imotorhead.com/lemmysbirthday/

Lemmy, who recently wrapped another round of European dates with Motörhead, was honored with an all-star evening of performances from an eclectic group of hard rock veterans. Included were Guns N’ Roses vets Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, and Gilby Clarke; as well as Billy Idol, Sebastian Bach, Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo, Zakk Wylde, and Anthrax‘s Scott Ian and Charlie Benante.

Anonymous said...

John Bradbury, the drummer for The Specials, just died at 62. No reason listed.

Smilin' Jack said...

"'Apparently I am still indestructible,' he said."

Is there an "appearances can be deceiving" tag?

ken in tx said...

He was already diabetic and he switched from Coke to orange juice? Coke at least has caffeine in it that supports the liver and helps metabolize the sugar. The orange juice is probably what killed him.