Motorhead's Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee didn't get a chance to say goodbye to Lemmy before he died: "I couldn't even go over to the funeral"

Motorhead's Lemmy, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee together — (Image credit: Chiaki Nozu/WireImage via Getty)

Former Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell has revealed that he and bandmate Mikkey Dee never got the chance to say goodbye to Lemmy before the legendary frontman passed away in 2015. Lemmy, who died on December 28 of that year aged 70 following a short battle with cancer, had led Motörhead since its inception in 1975, and his passing signalled the end of the band for good.

In a new interview with Myglobalmind (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), Campbell explains that he and Motörhead drummer Dee knew that something was "not going well" when the band began cancelling shows due to Lemmy's ailing health, but had no idea just how bad things had got.

"Yeah, we knew [he was ill], but Lem wanted to just carry on then," Campbell explains. "I know the last tour in Germany, I think one or two shows were canceled 'cause I ended up in hospital. And I came back out and we finished the tour. And that was the last tour then; the last show was in Berlin. So the last week of Motörhead, actually I was the one in bloody hospital. But we never thought — when we parted at the end of the tour, we never thought that would be the last time we'd see each other. We didn't have a chance to say goodbye, me or Mikkey, or nothing. I couldn't even go over to the funeral, 'cause my doctor advised me not to, 'cause I was pretty ill myself in them days."

Incredibly, Motörhead's final concert took place at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany, on December 11, 2015 - just 17 days before Lemmy died. Since Motörhead broke up in the aftermath of Lemmy's death, Campbell has remained active in a number of projects, most noticeably with his own band, Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons.

Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.