The personal lives of famous individuals have always been a subject of immense curiosity for the public and devoted fans. Lemmy Kilmister, the late frontman of Motörhead, was no exception. While he gained widespread recognition for his musical talents and rebellious lifestyle, the details of his personal life remained relatively unknown.
Although Lemmy never married, he had two sons. At the age of 17, Lemmy encountered a girl named Cathy while on vacation. Following her to Stockport, she gave birth to his son, Sean, who was subsequently placed for adoption. In the 2010 documentary ‘Lemmy,’ he briefly mentioned having a son whose mother had recently reconnected with him.
However, Lemmy made a firm decision to withhold his true identity from his secret child, believing it would be more beneficial for him not to know. Lemmy expressed that meeting his son out of curiosity might potentially disrupt his life, and since they had never met, he did not feel a sense of longing.
His words on his son, Sean, are as follows:
“He’s a computer programmer. His mother went and found him. She’s a social worker and wears these diaphanous paisley smocks. She said he put his head in his hands when she told him she was his mother, so she hadn’t the heart to tell him who his father was. I figure if I go and meet him for the sake of my curiosity, it might ruin his life. It’s better for everyone if I don’t. I never met him, so I don’t miss him.”
Turning our attention to Lemmy’s other son, his encounter with Tracy, a woman from Manchester, during his time with the Rockin’ Vickers led to the birth of Paul Inder. However, Lemmy only met Paul six years later. Inder, Lemmy’s second son, grew up to be a guitarist and occasionally joined his father on stage.
He remained by Lemmy’s side until his passing, witnessing his final days. In an interview at the 2016 Grammy Awards, Inder spoke about Lemmy’s determination to perform despite his health challenges, recalling an incident where the late singer mustered the strength to go on stage despite being laid out backstage. Kilmister’s unwavering dedication to music and refusal to retire shaped his mindset until the end.
Here is what Paul said about his father’s final months on the road:
“He had his up days, and he had his down days. He would battle to go on stage sometimes, but he would always get it together — even if he was laid out on his back. Like, in one show, I heard from Steve Luna, his assistant, that he was actually laid out on his back backstage. Then he heard the crowd chanting, ‘Lemmy, Lemmy,’ and he got up, and he went out, and he did it.
So he was determined all the way to the end. That’s all he lived for. He said, Well, there’s nothing else I can do. I’m not gonna retire.’ ‘Retire’ didn’t exist in his vocabulary. So, I think he was… For him, it was all the way to the end, and he wanted to go with his boots on, and he kind of did.”
Lemmy Kilmister, who resided in Los Angeles from 1990 until his death in 2015, often kept his personal life private from the public eye. While Lemmy chose not to disclose his true identity to his secret son, Sean, he maintained a connection with his other son, Paul Inder.
