As Lemmy and I Age
Mickey and Phil were very concerned about Lem’s health. At first the diagnose of diabetes was worrisome. He had gained quite a bit of weight and when I asked how he was he said in his disgruntled way “I feel like 10 pounds of shit stuffed into a 5 pound bag”. In earlier years, he ripped up this photo of himself when he saw it, not at all pleased with the effects of illness and aging.
They tried to help by hiring a chef to travel with them to cook healthier foods for all while on tour. He said he’d switched to vodka and orange juice though none of us thought that would be an improvement.
Next time I visited they asked me to talk to him about the many kinder eggs he was ordering on the hospitality rider, as well as the Jack n’ Coke.
I said emphatically “No, absolutely not! Have you never heard the expression ‘kill the messenger’? I’m won’t be the one to say anything to him about his health or what he’s eating.”
Later, when I was with him in his private room I saw that there were many broken kinder eggs on the shelf lining the counter and Lemmy was playing with the toys that came inside them. He had little finger puppets too. He was playing with the toys like a 7 year old boy and I joined in, delighted with this childlike side of him. Since all the chocolate was on the shelf, rather than having been eaten, I told Phil and Mickey that he was getting the kinder eggs for the toys, not the chocolate.
Meanwhile, I was struggling with my aging, changing body as well. I couldn’t find anything to wear that pleased me, I gave up and just wore a plain T shirt with some stylish trackies. I had stenciled Motorhead on the rear of them. When Todd Singerman, their manager, saw them he asked where I got them. I told him I’d made them myself. “That’s a great idea” he said. “They could be marketed” he continued. I told him I had the same thought.
