Lemmy, the frontman of the British rock band Motörhead, is set to be immortalized in his hometown with a new statue. The Stoke-on-Trent City Council approved plans to erect a 2.2-metre sculpture of the late singer in the market square of Burslem, where he was born. The clay statue, which will be created by local artist Andy Edwards, is estimated to cost £50,000, and a fundraising campaign has been launched to cover the cost.
Lemmy, whose real name was Ian Fraser Kilmister, spent much of his childhood in Wales before founding Motörhead in 1975. He passed away from prostate cancer in 2015 at the age of 70. The musician is also commemorated with statues at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Los Angeles and the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, where his ashes were enshrined by surviving Motörhead members Mikkey Dee and Phill Campbell.
There is a history of concern surrounding the Burslem statue, with local police fearing it could attract “good-natured but potentially incident-generating attention.” However, the concerns have been overcome by raising the height of the plinth on which the statue will stand from 2.5m to 3m. The increased height will put the statue out of the reach of passers-by.
According to the artist behind the Lemmy statue, among other things, “Lemmy was a great inspiration to many people, and fans have been waiting for a long time for this moment. It was a pleasure to be able to create this statue in his honor and immortalize him in his hometown.
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