Tag Archives: Obituary

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, News

R.I.P. “Fast” Eddie Clarke (1950 – 2018)

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Total dude. Got a Saxon T-Shirt on as well… clearly a man of taste!

It’s already been a tough week in metal, with the passing of both Chris Tsangarides and Iron Man’s Alfred Morris III, but now I’m sad to report that Motörhead/Fastway guitar hero “Fast” Eddie Clarke has passed away aged 67 following a battle with pneumonia.

Clarke was the last surviving member of the classic Motörhead lineup that released indispensable and influential albums like Overkill and Ace Of Spades. Lemmy, Philthy Animal and Fast Eddie might have had No Class but Eddie always rode the band’s wild rhythmic maelstrom with style and taste: dishing out bluesy double-stops and windswept unison bends that lifted the din to another level of excitement.

Sad to think all three members of this legendary lineup are gone but at least the three amigos are now back together doing what they do best. Playing filthy, loud rock n’ roll.

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Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, News

Malcolm Young (1953 – 2017)

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HMO salutes Malcolm Young, AC/DC’s legendary rhythm guitarist, who has passed away aged 64. As the driving force behind the band’s unmistakable sound and phenomenally successful career, it’s impossible to over-estimate the importance and influence of his work. A huge loss.

[AC/DC – Live Wire]

Classic Rock, Genre, News

Gregg Allman (1947 – 2017)

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I’m very sad to hear the news tonight about the passing of Gregg Allman. The Allman Brothers Band have been a huge part of my musical life since I discovered them in the 90s. I got into them through my love of Pride & Glory-era Zakk Wylde and a keen interest to find out more about all that southern rock stuff that he was banging on about. And, with all due respect to Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band were the greatest southern rock act: the titans of the genre. My initial love was mainly based around the fabulous guitar jamming on albums like At Fillmore East and Brothers & Sisters but it didn’t take long to cotton on to the joys of the soulful vocals of Gregg and to develop a late night obsession with his sublime solo album Laid Back and an absolutely timeless catalogue of incredible songwriting. Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Please Call Home, Midnight Rider, Melissa, Dreams, Wasted Words, End Of The Line… and countless more. Time goes by like hurricanes but the circle will stay unbroken. People will be listening to his beautiful songs and voice forever. Thanks, Gregg.

[The Allman Brothers Band – Aint’ Wastin’ Time No More]

Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, News, NWOBHM, Thrash Metal

Lemmy (1945 – 2015)

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So bad. Didn't care.
So bad. Didn’t care.

I woke up this morning to the sad news that the legendary Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister has passed away, aged 70.

Now I don’t normally post news like this on HMO, I usually just leave a tribute on Twitter or Facebook. But Lemmy is special. And you don’t need me to tell you how special so I’m not going to bother. Suffice to say, his passing marks the end of an era for Rock N’ Roll.

Here’s a snippet from the opening of BBC’s Arena “Heavy Metal” Documentary from 1989. If any metal doc has had a better opening than this, then I’ve not seen it. This was the first time I clapped eyes on the force of nature that is Lemmy: an unforgettable “who the fuck is that?” moment if ever there was one. It’s hard to imagine there was a time when I didn’t know who Lemmy was and it’s even harder to imagine a world without him in it.  Mountain lions everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief and the chances of your lawn dying have significantly reduced… but Lemmy will be missed.