March 15, 2026 — 10:33am
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Save this article for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.
Got it
AAA
Motorhead’s long-term guitarist Phil Campbell died on Saturday night, following complications from an operation.
Born in Pontypridd, Wales, the 64-year-old was the band’s guitarist from 1984 to 2015, when it disbanded after the death of founder Lemmy Kilmister.
Motorhead’s Phil “Wizzo” Campbell performing in South Korea in 2015. Getty Images
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Philip Anthony Campbell, who passed away peacefully last night following a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation,” his family said in a statement on his band’s Instagram page, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.
The band, which featured Campbell and his three sons, was slated to play in Australia later this year, but the tour was called off late last month due to his ill health.
Best known for their songs Ace of Spades, Overkill and Hellraiser, Motorhead released 23 albums over their 40-year career. The band’s lineup changed over the years with Kilmister and Campbell as its main constants.
Kilmister also wrote songs for other artists, including Ozzy Osbourne on what would become his quadruple-platinum No More Tears LP in the early 90s. According to Rolling Stone, in addition to the Grammy-winning I Don’t Want to Change the World, Kilmister helped write “Hellraiser, which the music magazine describes as “a thumping declaration of rock & roll fury that took the singer all of 10 minutes to pen”.
Related Article
“In Ozzy’s hands, it’s a soaring anthem (and an album highlight) but for Motörhead, who stuck it on their 1992 record March ör Die and in a Pinhead movie, it was a gritty, gremlin-like bar-rocker (in other words, the perfect Motörhead song). ‘I don’t know if Ozzy liked my version of the song,’ Kilmister told Rolling Stone in 2015. ‘He never said.’”
Motorhead paid tribute to Campbell in a post shared to Instagram, describing him as a wonderful guitarist and “an enormous beam of light”.
“Phil was a wonderful guitarist, writer, performer, and musician who had Motorhead in his veins.
Motorhead in Sydney in 1991.Palani Mohan/Fairfax Media
“He always led with his gift of guitar, and carried a great sense of humour, but most of all, Phil led with his heart. You could not be around him without a chuckle or 20, because quite simply, Phil loved life and lived it with great joy.
“There will be plenty of time for us to share stories – tales of Campbell glory – and some good jokes together; for now, please send love and positive energy to Gaynor and the boys while affording them time, space, and privacy.”
The family statement paid tribute to the man behind the public spotlight. “Phil was a devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi’. He was deeply loved by all who knew him and will be missed immensely,” it continued.
“His legacy, music and the memories he created with so many will live on forever.”
Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.
Save
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
From our partners