Motörhead's Singer Lemmy Kilmister Dead At 70: Frontman Was Jimi Hendrix's Roadie?
Lemmy Kilmister, lead singer and bassist of "Motörhead" has died at his Los Angeles home Monday after battling cancer, according to Rolling Stone.
Kilmister, who was known for his gravelly voice, just turned 70 years old on Christmas Eve and died two days after learning he had cancer. The band's official page confirmed his passing, revealed The Guardian.
"There is no easy way to say this," said the band on their Facebook post. "Our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer."
In recent years, he cancelled shows as his illness intensified and publicly struggled with his health. The frontman went under surgery in 2013 to have a defibrillator placed in his chest and suffered from a haematoma in 2014.
After Kilmister's death was announced, Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine, Kiss' frontman Gene Simmons, Motley Crue's Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, and rapper Ice T were among those who paid tribute.
Ozzy Osbourne took to Twitter to pay tribute as well, reported BBC.
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, real name Ian Fraser Kilmister, was born in Burslem, Staffordshire on Christmas Eve in 1945. His musical career began in the early 60s and was for a time, Jimi Hendrix's roadie. He played in several rock bands, which include "Sam Gopal," "Rockin' Vickers" and "Hawkwind."
Lemmy formed the "Motörhead" in 1975 and recorded 22 albums. The band's most influential track was 1980's "Ace of Spades."
Kilmister's passing came just a month after the band's former drummer, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor passed away. He was 61 years old.
Eddie "Fast" Clark has become the last surviving member of the band's famous lineup.
"I have just been told that Lemmy has passed away in LA," wrote Clark on Facebook. "Like Phil, he was like a brother to me. I am devastated. We did so much together, the three of us."
"Motörhead" was scheduled to tour France and the United Kingdom in early 2016.
