Metallica frontman James Hetfield revealed Wednesday that he’s gotten a new tattoo, which contains ashes from late Motorhead icon, Lemmy Kilmister.
Hetfield posted a photograph of himself giving the middle finger, decorated with his new ink, to the official Metallica Instagram account, noting how the design contained “a pinch” of Lemmy’s cremation ashes. The tattoo is an “Ace of Spades,” a nod to one of Motorhead’s most famous singles.
“A salute to my friend and inspiration Mr. Lemmy Kilmister. Without him, there would be NO Metallica,” the caption read. “Black ink mixed with a pinch of his cremation ashes that were so graciously given to me. So now, he is still able to fly the bird at the world.”
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Lemmy died at age 70 in 2015, just two days after learning he had cancer, the BBC reported at the time. He was born Ian Fraser Kilmister and was gifted the nickname Lemmy while in school in Anglesey, Wales. He claimed he never understood where the name came from, but it sure stuck.
As far as rockstar behavior goes, this seems pretty beautiful and sentimental. Motorhead inspired multiple generations of rockers, including Hetfield’s own career. The duo clearly shared something much deeper than just an industry, so for Hetfield to now carry some of Lemmy with him wherever he goes … gosh, it’s enough to make you tear up a little.
Lemmy’s death left Hetfield “distraught,” he told British rock magazine Kerrang back in 2016, the BBC reported. “My vision of him was as a statue of a man that was immortal. When he passed it scared me, like, ‘Where’s our captain now?’ He’s been a godfather to us,” Hetfield said at the time.
“There’s no doubt that without him there wouldn’t be a Metallica. When he was around, it just felt like things were going to be OK,” he continued. (RELATED: Legendary Rockstar Loses It Over Biden And Offers Solutions On How To Save The USA In Epic Interview)
Lemmy is remembered as one of the wildest, most creative men who “suffered no fools,” according to Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan. He is always missed.