Ian Frasier “Lemmy” Kilmister was the walking definition of cool. A nihilist with a heart of gold and a natural wit that could match Oscar Wilde himself, the legendary Motörhead frontman lived life to the fullest and without a hint of regret or a note of apology.
Some of Lemmy’s behavior might seem crass on a surface level, but there was practical philosophy behind all of his actions. To hear him talk about his lifestyle was to be granted with a deep, unflinching insight into the human condition itself.
The man was a poet in the most true sense of the word. Although he fathered two children, Lemmy never married. As you might expect, the hard rocker enjoyed a prolific sex life; albeit less so than some press outlets made it out to be.
In a 2012 interview with Spin, the frontman gave a mathematical breakdown for the number of women he’d slept with and addressed the reasons behind his long-term bachelorhood:
“I don’t know any happily married couples, not even my parents. There was a magazine in England who said I screwed 2,000 women and I didn’t, I said 1,000. When you think about it, it isn’t that unreasonable.
“I’m not even married, and I’ve been doing this since I was 16. And I’m now 66, so that’s like 50 years. I could’ve done more if I’ve tried, I guess. I didn’t even fool myself with that.
“My father was a stranger to me, and I learned that my stepfather was fighting a losing battle with my mother. Almost everyone is unhappy with themselves when they realize what they’ve done.
“And the lot of them get married because of the kids and that’s a really bad idea. People just rip each other to shreds over the years. Nothing kills a relationship like commitment.”
There will never be another one like Lemmy. May he Rest In Peace.