Lemmy Kilmister ‘was the finest of gentlemen,’ says Kirk Hammett of Metallica
Motörhead singer Lemmy Kilmister died Monday (Dec. 28), and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett has released a personal statement about his appreciation for Kilmister.
“Lemmy was the finest of gentlemen,” Hammett states in the message.
Hammett goes on to remember the first time he listened to “Overkill,” Motörhead’s sophomore album, and the first time he glanced at photos of the band, which he thought had a “certain authenticity about them.”
“I remember very distinctly having a realization that moment,” Hammett stated. “I realized that it was OK to be an outsider and that it was OK to not feel like I had to conform to anything that I objected to in my teenage life because clearly the Motörhead guys in this picture looked like they didn’t conform to anything at all and boy it sure looked and sounded like they were enjoying themselves as a result.”
Hammett ends the note saying, “That inspiration will always be there with me and may the music of Motörhead live on!”
Lemmy passed away at the age of 70 of an aggressive form of cancer.
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