Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell has died.
He was 64.
His family said he died peacefully after a “long and courageous battle in intensive care following a complex major operation.”
The heavy metal guitarist had a softer side, as a “devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi,’” his family wrote on Facebook, the BBC reported.
Motörhead paid tribute to Campbell on Instagram, saying he was a “wonderful guitarist” and an “enormous beam of light.”
Campbell was born in Wales and formed the band Persian Risk before joining Motörhead in 1984, replacing Brian Robertson. He was with the band for 31 years and was its longest tenured guitarist, Rolling Stone reported. It disbanded after the death of Lemmy Kilmister.
Guitarist “Fast Eddie” Clark died in 2018. He was 67, Fox News reported.
After the end of Motörhead, he had his own solo career, releasing “Old Lions Still Roar” in 2019 and then starting a new band, which was supposed to tour this year in Europe, but was canceled because of his medical condition, according to Rolling Stone.
Despite being with the band for three decades, Campbell was not initially among those nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when Motörhead was up for consideration in 2019. But fan outcry saw the museum add not only Campbell but also drummer Mikkey Dee. The band has not been selected to join the Hall of Fame in 2020.
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