Former Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell has died at the age of 64, according to his family in a statement released this morning.
He “passed away peacefully last night following a long and courageous battle in intensive care”, a statement on his Instagram account says. The text is accompanied by a photo of Campbell and his wife. “He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely”, the post reads. Knowledge of Campbell’s health issues had previously not been fully disclosed to the public.
Raised in Wales, he lived in Pontypridd until his death. He began playing guitar in his teenage years, becoming fond of a classic Les Paul shape, forming his first heavy metal band, Persian Risk, in 1979 at the peak of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. A version of Persian Risk without Campbell are still together and touring.
Campbell found success in Motörhead in 1984, joining after the departure of former Thin Lizzy axeman Brian Robertson on the heels of the album ‘Another Perfect Day’, controversial at the time for its broader musical appeal. The band had decided to proceed with two guitarists rather than their usual one, and thus Campbell made his name alongside Michael “Würzel” Burston, who left in 1995. Campbell’s first public appearance coincided with drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor’s last on the revolutionary British sitcom The Young Ones, performing the enduring hit ‘Ace of Spades’.
Campbell proceeded to play on every following Motörhead album between 1986’s surprisingly heavy ‘Orgasmatron’ and their last record, 2015’s ‘Bad Magic’, which was marred by frontman Lemmy Kilmister’s death just four months after release.
In the wake of Lemmy’s death, Motörhead disbanded and Campbell formed Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons with three of his sons. The band had a string of notable albums beginning with 2018’s ‘The Age of Absurdity’, covering other bands and releasing original music, supporting acts like Saxon and Guns N’ Roses on the road. No statement has yet been made in regards to the band’s future.
Despite Motörhead’s legacy of rockstar excess with constant touring aided by a diet of alcohol and drugs, which continued up to Lemmy’s 2015 passing, Campbell lived a relatively austere life when at home. Speaking of continuing to live in Pontypridd, he said that “I’m not going to die broke, but I’m not rich. I pay taxes [in the U.S.], but I’m not a citizen — they won’t give me citizenship. I got busted for two sleeping pills on New Year’s Eve in 1971, so, obviously, I’m a threat to the kids in America, you know.”
In that statement that announced his death, Campbell’s family said that, on a personal level, “Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi.’” He seemed to find more content in domesticity than his former singer did, with Lemmy frequently declaring his opposition to the institution of marriage.
