An Incomplete Guide to Finding Lemmy Kilmister’s Ashes
Lemmy Kilmister's ashes will be "enshrined" in April at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, but you don't have to travel to this legendary West Hollywood watering hole to find the Motorhead frontman's remains.
An urn with some of Kilmister's ashes will also be on display on Aug. 8-11 at the Bloodstock Festival at Catton Park in Derbyshire, England, before heading for a permanent exhibit at Nottingham's Rock City. Motorhead played 10 shows at Rock City between 1987 and 2006.
Really, his ashes are all over the place. They've been used to create tattoos for his band's tour manager and production assistant. Kilmister also specifically requested that his ashes be placed inside bullets and given to friends and family.
Rob Halford has revealed that he was one of the people who received a bullet. "This is nuts!" the Judas Priest frontman later admitted.
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Then again, Halford added, "this is the kind of thing that Lemmy would have loved to have done – to be thought of, to be brought into this small circle of friends where you actually own a little bit of Lemmy's ashes, and you wear it around your neck on a pendant and he's close to your heart in the truest sense in terms of his mortal remains. That's just mind-blowingly powerful."
Some of Kilmister's remains were scattered last August at the Wacken Open Air Festival in northern Germany, where Motorhead played many times over the years. Organizers put a special memorial in place that says "Lemmy Forever."
"Lemmy coming back to Wacken is an enormous honor for us – words can hardly express how enormous," festival co-organizer Thomas Jensen said in an official statement. "There has always been a special connection between Motorhead and Wacken Open Air. Hardly any band has played here more often. The fact that his journey also ends here will forever hold a special meaning."
Kilmister died at age 70 in December 2015 after battling health issues including prostate cancer and congestive heart failure. He'd been a fixture for years at the Rainbow, which also invited patrons to raise a "very unique toast" during the enshrinement of Kilmister's ashes.
A special Motorhead libation will be unveiled during the April 19 ceremony in his honor: the "brand new Motorhead Whiskey."
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
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