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Phil Campbell, the longtime guitarist for Motörhead, has died, Digital can confirm. He was 64.
Motörhead released a statement on social media, saying, “We cannot believe we’re saying this…it is with profound sadness that we have to say Philip Anthony Campbell has passed.”
The band described him as a musician who led with heart as much as talent.
“Phil was a wonderful guitarist, writer, performer, and musician who had Motörhead in his veins. He always led with his gift of guitar, and carried a great sense of humour, but most of all, Phil led with his heart. You could not be around him without a chuckle or twenty, because quite simply, Phil loved life and lived it with great joy,” the statement read.
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Phil Campbell, Motörhead’s longtime guitarist, has died at age 64. (Chiaki Nozu/WireImage/Getty Images)
As fans and friends mourned his passing, the band asked for privacy for Campbell’s family. “There will be plenty of time for us to share stories — tales of Campbell glory — and some damn good jokes together; for now, please send love and positive energy to Gaynor and the boys while affording them time, space, and privacy,” they said.
The tribute concluded with a note of grief and admiration: “Much love and RIP Phil. The world has just lost an enormous beam of light, and we are devastated.”
An additional statement shared on the Instagram account of his band, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, penned, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Philip Anthony Campbell, who passed away peacefully last night following a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation.”
“Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi.’ He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely. His legacy, music and the memories he created with so many will live on forever.”
The statement concluded, “We kindly ask that our family’s privacy is respected during this incredibly difficult time.”
Born in Pontypridd, Wales, Campbell first made his mark in the late 1970s with the heavy metal band Persian Risk. But his career — and rock history — changed in 1984, when Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister called on him to replace guitarist Brian Robertson, according to Rolling Stone.
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Phil Campbell of Motörhead performs at the Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2015. (Tabatha Fireman/Redferns via Getty Images)
Campbell debuted on Motörhead’s 1986 album “Orgasmatron,” and quickly became the band’s longest-serving guitarist.
Over 31 years with the band, he recorded 16 studio albums and laid down some of the band’s most unforgettable riffs on tracks like “Deaf Forever,” “Eat the Rich” and “Born to Raise Hell.”
Even after Motörhead disbanded following Kilmister’s death in 2015, Campbell kept the music alive.
(L–R) Phil Campbell, Lemmy Kilmister and Mikkey Dee of Motörhead attend the 57th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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He released his first solo album, “Old Lions Still Roar,” in 2019 and toured with his sons in Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.
Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee called Campbell “the funniest guy I have ever known and the best rock guitar player I have ever played with.”
Phil Campbell performs at Café de la Danse on Sept. 27, 2019, in Paris, France. (David Wolff – Patrick/Redferns/Getty Images)
Dee added on Instagram, “Most of all, I will miss hanging out with the nicest guy you could ever meet… Sleep well, my friend and rock soldier. Say hi to Lemmy, Würzel, Filthy and Eddie. I am sure you’ll be a crazy gang hanging out together again!”
Campbell’s death is the latest in a series of losses for Motörhead fans.
Guitarist “Fast Eddie” Clarke, who helped craft the band’s classic sound, died in 2018 at 67.
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Clarke, who joined the band shortly after its founding in 1975 by Kilmister, was the last surviving member of the group’s classic lineup and helped record iconic hits like “Ace of Spades.”
