Phil Campbell, longtime Motörhead guitarist, dead at 64
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Fox News Digital has confirmed that Motörhead’s longtime guitarist Phil Campbell has died. He was 64 years old.
Motorhead released a expression “We can’t believe we’re saying this… it is with deep sadness that we have to say that Philip Anthony Campbell has passed away,” he wrote on social media.
The group described him as a musician who leads with heart as well as talent.
“Phil was a great guitarist, writer, performer and musician, with Motörhead in his veins. He always led with guitar talent and had a great sense of humour, but most of all Phil led with his heart. You couldn’t be around him without letting out a giggle or laughing twenty times because quite simply Phil loved life and lived it with great joy,” the statement said.
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Motörhead’s long-time guitarist Phil Campbell has died at the age of 64. (Chiaki Nozu/WireImage/Getty Images)
The band has asked for privacy for Campbell’s family as fans and friends mourn his passing. “We will have plenty of time to share stories together—stories of Campbell’s triumph—and some good jokes; for now, please send love and positive energy to Gaynor and the kids, while also giving them time, space, and privacy,” they said.
The tribute ended on a note of grief and admiration: “Much love and RIP Phil. The world has lost a tremendous ray of light and we are devastated.”
One additional declaration “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved father, Philip Anthony Campbell, who passed away peacefully last night after a long and courageous battle in intensive care following a complex and major surgery,” his band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons said in a post on their Instagram account.
“Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, affectionately known as ‘Bampi.’ He was loved by all who knew him and will be greatly missed. His legacy, his music, and the memories he created with so many will live on forever.”
The statement concluded: “We ask that our family’s privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time.”
Born in Pontypridd, Wales, Campbell first made his mark in the late 1970s with heavy metal band Persian Risk. But his career and rock history changed in 1984, when Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister asked him to replace guitarist Brian Robertson, according to Rolling Stone.
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Motörhead’s Phil Campbell performs at Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2015. (Tabatha Fireman/Redferns via Getty Images)
Campbell debuted on Motörhead’s 1986 album “Orgasmatron” and quickly became the band’s longest-serving guitarist.
Over his 31 years with the band, he has recorded 16 studio albums and covered some of the band’s most memorable riffs on tracks such as “Deaf Forever”, “Eat the Rich” and “Born to Raise Hell”.
Even after Motörhead disbanded following Kilmister’s death in 2015, Campbell kept the music alive.
(From left) Phil Campbell, Lemmy Kilmister and Mikkey Dee of Motörhead attend the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California on February 8, 2015. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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He released his first solo album “Old Lions Still Roar” in 2019 and went on the Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons tour with his sons.
Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee He called Campbell “the funniest guy I’ve ever met and the best rock guitarist I’ve ever played with.”
Phil Campbell performs at Café de la Danse on September 27, 2019 in Paris, France. (David Wolff – Patrick/Redferns/Getty Images)
Dee added on Instagram: “Most importantly, I’ll miss hanging out with the best man you’ll ever meet… Sleep tight my friend and rock trooper. Say hello to Lemmy, Würzel, Filthy and Eddie. I’m sure you’ll be a crazy gang hanging out together again!”
Campbell’s death was the latest in a series of losses suffered by Motörhead fans.
Guitarist “Fast Eddie” Clarke, who helped create the band’s classic sound, died in 2018 at the age of 67.
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Clarke, who joined the band shortly after it was founded by Kilmister in 1975, was the last surviving member of the band’s classic line-up and helped record iconic hits such as “Ace of Spades”.
