Lemmy: The Definitive Biography

Mick Wall's Lemmy: The Definitive Biography is, as Classic Rock rightly proclaims, "Unflinching, forthright and full of wry humour as the man himself, and there's little praise greater than that." The Guardian concurs, noting that "Wall's vision of Lemmy as a Rock'n'Roll stalwart who made no concessions is vivid to the last."

In Motörhead's iconic anthem, "The Ace of Spades," Lemmy, the born-to-lose, live-to-win frontman, sang, "I don't want to live forever." Yet, as he confided in his friend of 35 years, former PR and biographer Mick Wall, his true desire was "Actually, I want to go the day before forever. To avoid the rush..." This biography delivers his strange but true story with a brutal frankness, a painful yet often hilarious honesty, and a wincingly sad undercurrent, all beautifully rendered by Wall's skilled hand.

Lemmy: The Definitive Biography is the compelling tale of a rock and roller who steadfastly refused to sell his soul for "silver and gold," all while keeping the devil, in his own words, "very close to my side." Wall chronicles Lemmy's journey from his school days growing up in North Wales, through his initial taste of fame in the mid-60s with the Rockin' Vicars, to his time as Jimi Hendrix's personal roadie ("I would score acid for him"). He recounts Lemmy's pivotal role in leading Hawkwind to the top of the charts in 1972 with "Silver Machine" (and his subsequent firing for "taking the wrong drugs"), culminating in the formation of the earth-shattering Motörhead ("I wanted to call the band Bastard but my manager wouldn't let me"), whose iconoclastic album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith stormed the UK charts at Number 1.

Based on Mick Wall's extensive original interviews with Lemmy conducted over many years, alongside insightful contributions from those who knew him best – former bandmates, close friends, managers, fellow artists, and record business insiders – this biography is utterly unputdownable. As Lemmy himself once wryly observed of Wall, "Mick Wall is one of the few rock writers in the world who can actually write and seems to know anything about rock music. I can and do talk to him for hours - poor bastard."

With the tumultuous journey of his life now complete, Lemmy has rightfully cemented his status as a legend. Lemmy: The Definitive Biography expertly and entertainingly explains exactly how that came to be, offering a vital and compelling portrait of one of Britain's most unforgettable characters.