The music world was stunned at the passing of Motorhead founder and frontman Lemmy Kilmister on December 28 after a short bout with a particularly aggressive form of cancer. Kilmister was first diagnosed with the disease on December 26 and died two days later. He was a heavy metal figurehead in music and is being mourned by many in the music industry. A lesser-known fact about Kilmister was that he had a short stint as a rodie for Jimi Hendrix early on in his time in the music industry. Now, his roadie Steve Luna talks about his death in a new interview.
Luna worked for Kilmister for upwards of 10 years as a bass tech and personal assistant, and was actually present at the rocker's house the day of his death.
When the interviewer expressed condolences for Luna's loss, he said to Billboard, "I actually went and saw him on Monday. I was there an hour before everything went down. Just gave him a giant hug and thanked him for everything. He did a lot for me. I've toured with many musicians, but Lemmy I held in high regard. It was like losing a family member - I worked with him for 10-plus years."
Luna further talked about Kilmister's lifestyle and work within the industry, saying, "He lived a long time, he drank, he did what he did. But how many people can say that they did 50-plus years - we're going back 40 years with Motorhead and then on top of that these other bands, the Rockin' Vickers, Sam Gopal, Hawkwind, we're talking 50-plus years that he survived in the industry that most people can't do."
He further said to the publication, "And stay true to it. I don't want to use the term 'selling out' because everybody has to do what they have to do. But Lemmy lived for the music and the music only."
It is not just Luna that Kilmister's death has affected, and many in the industry have expressed deep sorrow over his passing. Dave Grohl went as far as to get a tattoo commemorating Motorhead's famous Ace of Spades logo in honor of his fallen friend and collaborator. The two collaborated frequently on projects together while Kilmister was alive. The Foo Fighters' frontman used Kilmister's vocals for his side heavy metal project Probot in 2004 and the duo also performed at the Revolver Golden Gods awards. Kilmister also starred in the Foo Fighters' "White Limo" music video.
