Lemmy statue proposed for Motörhead frontman’s birthplace
Motörhead‘s frontman and bassist, Lemmy, may be honoured with a statue in his birthplace of Burslem, Stoke-On-Trent.
Lemmy – full name Ian Fraser Kilmister – was born in Burslem, one of the towns that is part of the city of Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire, prior to him and his family moving to Newcastle-under-Lyme. The majority of the singer’s childhood was spent in Wales before founding Motörhead in 1975.
If the plans to erect the statue are approved by the Stoke-on-Trent City Council, it will be placed in Burslem’s Market Place. The figure would be created by North Staffordshire sculptor Andy Edwards – the same artist who created the world-famous Beatles statue on Liverpool’s waterfront.
According to StokeOnTrentLive, the statue would depict the ‘Ace Of Spades’ singer during the early days of the band playing bass and singing. It will stand on an eight-foot plinth which would feature the Motörhead logo along with the band’s slogan, personal and career details along with a dedication and the names of 100 fans and celebrities who have supported the project.
The planning application for the artwork submitted by organisers said that the new statue would “give more purpose to this area and provide a place for the public to learn about one of Burslem’s iconic inhabitants”.
Lemmy was born on December 24, 1945. He began his career in the late 60s and worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. In 1971, he joined the space rock band Hawkwind, singing lead vocals for their hit ‘Silver Machine’. He was sacked from the band in 1975 after an arrest over alleged drug possession.
That same year, he went on to create Motörhead. The metal band reached its peak in the 1980s with their hit single ‘Ace of Spades’ and their chart-topping live album ‘No Sleep ’til Hammersmith’.
The singer and bassist passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 just two days after he revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In other news, Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee doubled down on his previous assertion that the band will never reform with a new singer.
Speaking to Chaoszine, Dee clarified that the band will not replace their late singer, though they are open to tributes to Lemmy. “I said, ‘We will never, ever get back together and replace Lemmy. That’s impossible,’” Dee said, reiterating that he never ruled out ever performing the band’s songs again.
Dee and Motörhead bandmate Phill Campbell enshrined Lemmy’s ashes earlier this year at a bar named after the frontman in the village of Wacken in Germany after scattering some of the ashes in the mud at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival.
Some of Lemmy’s ashes had been used to create tattoos for Motörhead’s tour manager and production assistant, while some ashes were also placed inside bullets and sent to his loved ones at Lemmy’s request.
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Anagricel Duran
NME
