Lemmy's ashes placed in bullets and sent to Motörhead legend's friends
See photos of the bullet
Last updated 23rd Mar 2021
Motörhead legend Lemmy Kilmister’s ashes have been placed into bullets and sent to his closest friends.
American television and radio personality Riki Rachtman, who hosted MTV's heavy metal show The Headbangers Ball in the 1990s, broke the extremely metal (quite literally) revelation about Lemmy’s ashes last night (22nd March).
Rachtman posted a photo of the gold bullet embossed with Lemmy’s name and sitting inside a plush presentation case.
He wrote: “Before his death #Lemmy asked for his ashes to be put in some bullets & handed out to his closest friends Today I received a bullet & was literally brought to tears Thank you @myMotorhead.”
Not widely picked up by the media last year, former professional tennis player Pat Cash shared a photo of a Lemmy bullet in February 2020.
Taking to Instagram from Lemmy’s favourite drinking haunt, The Rainbow Bar and Grill in Hollywood, Cash said the bullet had been given to Ugly Kid Joe frontman Whitfield Crane.
Cash wrote at the time: #Lemmy (RIP) from #Motörhead asked that his ashes be put in some bullet and given out to his closest friends, last night one was presented to my mate #whitefieldCrane whilst we were having dinner at “Lemmys bar in “The Rainbow.”
Lemmy died on 28th December 2015 at his apartment in Los Angeles just four days after his 70th birthday. He was later immortalised with a statue at Rainbow Bar and Grill, which you can see below.
Last summer it was announced that a movie biopic about Lemmy is in the works. Simply entitled Lemmy, it’s being directed by Greg Olliver who also co-directed and co-produced the acclaimed 2010 documentary film of the same name – Lemmy - alongside Wes Orshoski.
Lemmy will follow the early life of Ian Fraser Kilmister from his upbringing in Stoke-on-Trent to famously becoming a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, to joining space rock torchbearers Hawkwind, before he formed Motörhead in the mid-seventies.
Lemmy has been in development since 2013 and production is tentatively set to start this year depending on the situation with coronavirus pandemic.
Rock legends immortalised as statues, including Lemmy:
Marc Bolan statue in Barnes, London
In September 2002, a bust of legendary T. Rex singer Marc Bolan was unveiled at the location of the car crash that claimed his life aged 29. The T. Rex Action Group (TAG) launched Marc Bolan's Rock Shrine in 1997 (the 20th anniversary of his passing) with a memorial stone, and five years later the bronze sculpture of Bolan was revealed. It was paid for exclusively by T-Rex Action Group founder Fee Warner, sculpted by Canadian sculptor Jean Robillard, and unveiled by Bolan's son Rolan Bolan. The sculpture features lyrics from Tyrannosaurus Rex's 1968 song 'Child Star.'
Brian Johnson statue in Namur, Belgium
AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson was immortalised in statue form in the Belgian city of Namur on 16th April 2023. The life-size statue made from Belgian Blue Stone commemorates Brian Johnson's first ever AC/DC concert, which took place at the city's Palais Des Expositions on 29th June 1980 four months after the death of Bon Scott. The fan-funded statue was the brainchild of AC/DC aficionados Michel Remy, Mike Davister and Georges Boussingault with support from the local radio station RTBF Classic 21. On the day of its unveiling, Brian Johnson said: "I'd like to say a very special thank you to all the donors and fans in Namur. It's a very special place for me. It was the first might I sang with AC/DC, and I was a very nervous boy. So that memory will stay with me forever, and now that you've built this statue, honestly, I'm not worthy of it. I thank you and I'll take it in good grace. I'll never forget what you've done for me."
Freddie Mercury statue at Lake Geneva
The iconic Freddie Mercury statue overlooking Lake Geneva in Montreux. Standing three metres high, the Irena Sedlecka sculpture was unveiled five years after Freddie's death by Montserrat Caballé and Freddie's mother Jer.
Freddie Mercury statue at Lake Geneva
A close up of the incredible Freddie Mercury statue in Montreux.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards statues
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards were honoured with statues in their hometown of Dartford, Essex on 9th August 2023. The bronze sculptures, named The Glimmer Twins in homage to Jagger and Richards' song writing partnership, are the creation of sculptor Amy Goodman. The statues capture both Jagger and Richards in the midst of live performance, and they were commissioned by Dartford Borough Council to celebrate two of the town's most famous former residents.
Keith Richards statue in Dartford
Mick Jagger statue in Dartford
Rory Gallagher statue in Cork
Irish blues-rock legend Rory Gallagher has been honoured twice with a statue. The first was unveiled in the newly renamed Rory Gallagher Place in Cork in 1997, and was created by local artist Geraldine Creedon. The unqiue bronze sculpture takes the form of a guitar on one side, while the other features overlapping Rory Gallagher song lyrics.
Rory Gallagher statue in Ballyshannon
Created by artist David Annand in 2010, this life-sized bronze statue of Rory Gallagher was unveiled in Ballyshannon town centre. Standing proudly at 7ft tall, beneath the statue are the opening lyrics from Rory Gallagher's 1979 song 'Follow Me', which read: "I want to plant a star on the sky / One you can find at the end of the night."
Ronnie James Dio statue in Bulgaria
After Dio's untimely death in May 2010, the metalheads on the town council of Kavarna in Bulgaria immediately commissioned a statue in his honour. It was unveiled in October of that year.
Bon Scott statue in Fremantle
On 25th October 2008, a bronze statue of Bon Scott was dedicated at Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in Western Australia, where the late singer was brought up. The life-size statue depicts Bon standing on top of a Marshall speaker. Bon is buried in the town's cemetery, and is apparently the most visited grave in Australia.
Phil Lynott statue in Dublin
Philomena Lynott poses with her son's statue on Harry Street in Dublin in 2013. Erected in 2005, the 2.4-metre bronze statue was repaired twice in 2013 after a motorist crashed into it and vandals knocked it off its plinth.
Jimi Hendrix statue in Isle of Wight
In honour of Jimi's fabled 1970 Isle of Wight Festival performance, a bronze statue was unveiled at Dimbola House in 2006. Created by John Swindells, the plaque comes with the Jimi quote "It's funny how most people love the dead, once you're dead you're made for life."
Elvis Presley statue in Mississippi
Such is his profound legacy there are numerous Elvis statues across the globe. However, arguably the most poignant is this statue of a 13-year-old Elvis outside the church he attended as a child in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Chuck Berry statue in St Louis
Sculptor Harry Weber's in-motion sculpture of Chuck is located right across the street from Blueberry Hill in St Louis. The late-great Chuck himself launched the sculpture in July 2011.
Frank Zappa in Baltimore
Launched in 2010, the statue of the musical maverick's head is situated right by Frank Zappa Way in Baltimore where he was born.
Johnny Ramone statue at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Unveiled three months after Johnny's death in September 2004, the statue marks is burial site at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in California.
Buddy Holly statue in Clear Lake, Iowa
The creation of Michael Connor, a large steel set of Wayfarer-style glasses that were Buddy Holly's trademark are situated at the plane crash site near Clear Lake, Iowa where Buddy, Ritchie Valens, J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson & pilot Roger Peterson lost their lives in 1959.
Kurt Cobain statue in Washington
On what would have been Kurt's 47th birthday in February 2014, a statue was unveiled in the Aberdeen Museum of History, Washington as part of Kurt Cobain Day. The memorial featured a single tear rolling down Kurt's face prompting criticism from some quarters.
Freddie Mercury statue in London
This 20-foot high fibre-glass statue of Freddie Mercury that stood outside London's Dominion Theatre for We Will Rock You's 12 year run from 2002 to 2014. It now resides in Roger Taylor's back garden.
Bon Scott statue in Kirriemuir
Such is their adulation for the late singer, AC/DC fans themselves raised £45,000 to fund the life-size bronze statue of Bon Scott in his home town of Kirriemuir, Scotland. Created by John McKenna, it was unveiled by former AC/DC bassist Mark Evans in May 2016.
Jimi Hendrix nail statue
Created by Boris Deheljan from Belgrade, this uncoventional Jimi statue weighs 200 kilograms was made of 4000 screws and 40 kilograms of wire. It took six months to complete.
Lemmy statue at Rainbow Bar & Grill
The 6ft bronze Lemmy statue was unveiled at his favourite drinking establishment, West Hollywood's Rainbow Bar and Grill, on Wednesday 24th August 2016. Fans raised $23,000 to fund the sculpture.
David Bowie statue in Aylesbury
The fan-funded David Bowie 'Earthly Messenger' sculpture in Aylesbury was unfortunately was vandalised just hours after being unveiled in March 2018. Here the clean up operation is taking place.
Chris Cornell statue in Seattle
Chris Cornell's life-sized bronze sculpture at a ceremony at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture. Commissioned by Chris' wife Vicky, the six-foot statue was created by sculptor Nick Marra and depicts the singer throwing a 'rock god pose' while clutching a perfectly detailed Gibson guitar. It was unveiled in October 2018 and sadly vandalised in 2020.
John Bonham statue in Redditch
The statue of the late Led Zeppelin drummer is located in Mercian Square in Bonham's birthplace of Redditch. Created by sculptor Mark Richards and unveiled on what would have been Bonham's 70th birthday on 31st May 2018, the vast bronze sculpture weighs around 2.5 tonnes and depicts Bonzo in live action behind the drum kit.
The Beatles statues in Liverpool
The bronze statues of all four members of The Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison – were unveiled on Liverpool's Waterfront in December 2015. Donated by The Cavern Club, the statues were created to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fab Four's last gig in Liverpool at The Liverpool Empire. Slightly larger than life, the statues way a combined 1.2 tonnes! John Lennon is also honoured with a statue on Mathew Street and at John Lennon Airport.
Buddy Holly statue in Texas
Created by sculptor Grant Speed in 1980, a huge 8.5-foot-tall bronze statue of Buddy Holly playing a Fender guitar resides in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. The sculpture was created to mark the 50th anniversary of Buddy Holly's untimely death in 1959 - The Day the Music Died.
Stevie Ray Vaughan statue in Austin, Texas
Late-great Double Trouble blues rocker Stevie Ray Vaughan is immortalised with a bronze statue on the shore of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas near to the location of his last concert in the city. It was opened in 1994, four years after Vaughan's death, and was created by sculptor Ralph Helmick.
Jimi Hendrix statue in Seattle
Depicting Jimi Hendrix throwing an iconic pose and playing a Fender Stratocaster, the life-size Jimi statue is named The Electric Lady Studio Guitar and it's located in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Seattle. It's the work of sculptor Daryl Smith.
Phil Lynott statue in West Bromwich
A Phil Lynott statue was unveiled in his birthplace of West Bromwich on what would have been the Thin Lizzy legend's 72nd birthday on Friday 20th August 2021. The monument stands at six feet tall and features a large metal plinth featuring the words: 'Phil Lynott. Son of West Bromwich. Born in this town. 20th August 1949.' On top of the sizable plinth is a bust of Phil Lynott made from bronze and galvanized steel. The whole monument was created by local sculptor Luke Perry.
Freddie Mercury statue in Jeju, South Korea
A 5ft 9in statue of Freddie Mercury standing on the shoreline in Jeju, South Korea. The figure cost over £28,000 to make and was the labour of love for businessman and Queen fan Baek Soon-yeob, who emailed the band every month for 8 years to seek their permission.
Lemmy statue at Hellfest
A colossal statue of Motörhead legend Lemmy was unveiled at French metal festival Hellfest in Clisson, France in June 2022. Created by French artist and sculptor Caroline Brisset (pictured), the impressive statue was created from steel and concrete, and it replaces the previous Lemmy statue at Hellfest that was erected six years ago.
Till Lindemann statue in Germany
Created by animator and designer Roxxy Roxx, this 40-kilogram statue of Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann was unveiled outside the singer's childhood home in Rostock, Germany on 3rd January 2023. Unveiled to coincide with Lindemann's 60th birthday the following day, the statue was stolen just hours after it was erected.