Lemmy Kilmister photographed in May 1973.
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Billboard remembers the members of the music community who have passed on in 2015.
(Dec. 24, 1945-Dec. 28, 2015)
Even in the iconoclastic realm of rock stars, Lemmy Kilmister was one of a kind. The Motörhead frontman had a gravelly warrior wail, an ever-present bottle of Jack Daniel's and one of the most genuine, uncompromising dispositions in the metal world. After laying the groundwork for Metallica, Megadeth and others in the '70s, he kept soldiering on with his band until the end, performing shows and releasing albums until cancer claimed his life at age 70 on Dec. 28.