Ugly Kid Joe singer Whitfield Crane says his friend, late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmster, was “surely sickly” in the three years before his death.

The Motörhead frontman died of cancer on December 28th, 2015. In an April, 2014 interview, Crane dismissed concerns for Lemmy’s health by saying “all is well” with the iconic bassist. But Crane now admits his hero was very unwell during the final years of his life.

“The thing about Lem is he wanted everyone to keep carrying on,” Crane tells the White Line Fever podcast. “I was able to, in 2012 and 2014… I kept finding myself in London and it was right when Motörhead would go tour. So in 2012 and 2014, in two-week stints, I would just go on the Motörhead bus with the band. I wasn’t even in the band, I just said ‘can I come with you guys’ and I spent a lot of quality time with them. He was surely sickly. But he had no… it was amazing he was out there playing. That’s how raw, that’s how real that guy was.”

Crane says he misses Kilmister deeply. “It’s a massive loss, what can you say? I went to his funeral on January 9, it was really beautiful. It was beautiful to see all the musicians and all the people that loved him paying homage and give some kind words about him. It’s pretty brutal. I’m really grateful I got to know him and that he took me under his wing but, yeah, it’s pretty gnarly.

“It’s great to see Phil Campbell react like he has. Phil’s out there… he’s got Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons and he’s got his solo record and Mikkey Dee is in Scorpions.

“I just did a show called Hellfest with Ugly Kid Joe and Phil Campbell was there and there was the Motörhead crew with different bands. That whole Motörhead camp was such a family.

“The stars aligned at the Hellfest in France and there was all the pirates from the Motörhead camp.”

(Whitfield Crane photo - Steve Mascord)