Original Motorhead guitarst Larry Wallis died on September 19 at the age of 70.
While no cause of death has been revealed as of yet, the news was confirmed via the band’s website.
The rocker’s lengthy history – which included stints with Shagrat, Blodwyn Pig, UFO and psych-rock band The Pink Fairies – led to his joining Lemmy Kilmister and drummer Lucas Fox in Motorhead when they launched in 1975.
“We plugged in, left the amp settings where they were, as they were already turned with a monkey wrench, and went nuts,” said Wallis of the trio’s first time playing together.
Fox was soon replaced by Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor as the outfit recorded what was supposed to be their debut album, “On Parole”; the project was shelved for four years until the band developed a steady following and would eventually be issued in 1979 as the group’s fourth record.
Wallis left Motorhead in 1976 when they brought in guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke, and he would go on to become a producer at new punk and new wave label Stiff Records.
Wallis reformed The Pink Fairies in 1987, and they recorded and released a new album, “Kill ‘Em And Eat ‘Em”; he would go on to issue a solo set, “Death In The Guitafternoon”, in 2001.
The trio of Lemmy, Clarke and Taylor would go on to propel Motorhead to international success with a seris of albums that inlcued the group’s self-titled 1977 debut, 1979’s “Overkill” and “Bomber” – which are both being reissued next month – and 1980’s “Ace Of Spades.”
Taylor passed away in 2015 from liver failure at the age of 61; Kilmister died a month later at the age of 70 from prostate cancer, a cardiac arrhythmia, and congestive heart failure, and Clarke passed away last year at 67 following a battle with pneumonia.
See also:
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Search Motorhead at hennemusic
