Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor
September 21, 1954 - November 11, 2015
Phil Taylor, former drummer of metal band Motorhead, passed away yesterday. Taylor was 61 years old. The news was confirmed by former Motorhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke, who said that Taylor had "been ill for sometime."
Motorhead was formed in 1975 by bassist/singer Lemmy Kilmister, who had just been kicked out of space rock band Hawkwind. Taylor joined Motorhead in 1975, replacing original drummer Lucas Fox. By the follow year, Motorhead consisted of Kilmister, Taylor and Clarke. This line-up would go on to become the band's classic line-up, as they released five studio albums- including Overkill, Bomber and Ace of Spades. Taylor left the band in 1984 but would rejoin three years later. Taylor officially left the band for good in 1992 after Kilmister fired him for his poor performances. Aside from Motorhead, Taylor played in several other bands including Waysted and the Deviants. Before his passing, Taylor had reunited with Kilmister and Motorhead several times. The last time was in November of last year, where the current line-up of Motorhead were joined with Clarke and Taylor for a performance of "Ace of Spades."
It's sad to hear of Phil's passing. He was a great drummer and I wasn't aware of his illness. Another thing that has occurred to me is that Motorhead still have yet to be inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Sadly, Phil won't be there.
Rest in peace, Phil.
