Eddie Clarke dead: Motorhead guitarist dies aged 67

Last surviving member of the classic lineup died after falling ill with pneumonia

Clarke played on Motorhead’s self-titled 1977 debut album and also played on 1979’s ‘Overkill’ and ‘Bomber’, 1980’s ‘Ace Of Spades’ and 1982’s ‘Iron Fist’ (Rex)

“Fast” Eddie Clarke, the last original member of Motorhead, has died aged 67.

The band’s official Facebook page posted the news with a statement which read: “We are devastated to pass on the news we only just heard ourselves earlier tonight...

“Edward Allan Clarke – or as we all know and love him Fast Eddie Clarke – passed away peacefully yesterday.

“Ted Carroll (who formed Chiswick Records) made the sad announcement via his FB page, having heard from Doug Smith that Fast Eddie passed peacefully in hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia.”

Clarke was introduced to frontman Lemmy by drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor in the mid-Seventies, and joined Motorhead soon afterwards in 1976.

He played on Motorhead’s self-titled 1977 debut album and also played on 1979’s Overkill and Bomber, 1980’s Ace Of Spades and 1982’s Iron Fist.

Clarke left Motorhead while on tour in the US with the band, reportedly unhappy with how Iron Fist had turned out, and went on to form Fastway with former UFO bassist Pete Way.

Fastway released their self-titled debut album in 1983, and went on to release a further six studio albums – including the 2011 comeback album Dog Eat Dog.

Phil Campbell, who played guitar for Motorhead from 1984 to 2015, said: “Just heard the sad news that Fast Eddie Clarke has passed away. Such a shock. He will be remembered for his iconic riffs and was a true rock n roller. RIP Eddie.”

Drummer Mikkey Dee, who worked with the band from 1992 to 2015, added: “Oh my f**king god, this is terrible news, the last of the three amigos. I saw Eddie not too long ago and he was in great shape, so this is a complete shock.

“Me and Eddie always hit it off great. I was looking forward to seeing him in the UK this summer... Now Lem and Philthy can jam with Eddie again, and if you listen carefully I’m sure you’ll hear them, so watch out! My thoughts go out to Eddie’s family and close ones.”​