Lemmy’s interest in history was at the root of his controversial habit of collecting Third Reich memorabilia. He recalled that visitors to his West Hollywood apartment would blanch at his huge assortment of Nazi daggers, flags, medals and uniforms, to which he would riposte: “Well, my black girlfriend doesn’t have any problems with it, so I don’t see why you should.” He said: “By collecting Nazi memorabilia, it doesn’t mean I’m a fascist, or a skinhead. I just liked the clobber. I’ve always liked a good uniform, and throughout history, it’s always been the bad guys who dressed the best: Napoleon, the Confederates, the Nazis.”

• Lemmy: "Wars are the most interesting times. Shows the best and worst in people. In war you get to find out who your real friends are. Ask any of those boys coming back from Iraq, you know." 

• Lemmy: "Well, I've had six black girlfriends so far. So I'm one of the worst Nazis you've ever met, right? Imagine going to Nuremberg and introducing my girlfriend to the Führer. Yeah, I don't think so. I just dress how I like to dress. I don't ask anybody else to do it, you know. It's a free country, supposedly. If the Israeli army had the best uniforms, I'd collect them, but they don't. So there you go. I can't help it. It's ridiculous to think that I could be a Nazi. I'm about as far from it as you could get." 

He had an Iron Cross encrusted on his bass, which led to accusations of Nazi sympathies. He stated that he collected the memorabilia because he liked the way it looked, and considered himself an anarchist or libertarian. Lemmy was against religion, government and established authority. Jeff Hanneman, the founder of the thrash metal band Slayer, befriended Lemmy due to their shared fondness for collecting Nazi memorabilia. 

According to Keith Emerson's autobiography, Lemmy gave him two of his Hitler Youth knives during his time as a roadie for the Nice. Emerson used these knives many times as keyholders when playing the Hammond organ during concerts with the Nice and Emerson, Lake & Palmer before destroying them. Lemmy defended his collection by saying that if his black girlfriend had no problem with it, nobody else should.

Lemmy (Ian Fraser Kilmister) was a rock singer. He was born on 24 December 1945 and died on 28 December 2015. According to The Guardian few musicians have walked the rebel’s walk with as much conviction as the Motörhead frontman Lemmy, who has died aged 70 of cancer. Despite his high-profile image as a hell-raiser, Lemmy’s influence as a musician and songwriter should not be underestimated, The Guardian reported. 

[Via]