Lemmy Kilmister will always be a part of James Hetfield’s DNA — literally! The Metallica frontman has just gotten a new tattoo using ink mixed with the late Motörhead icon’s cremated ashes.
The tattoo of an iron cross with a spade on top appears on Hetfield’s right middle finger. The Metallica singer-guitarist posted a photo of himself flipping the bird on the band’s Instagram page (see below), writing, “With the steady hand of friend and tattoo artist @coreymillertattoo, this tattoo. A salute to my friend and inspiration Mr. Lemmy Kilmister. Without him, there would be NO Metallica.”
He continued, “Black ink mixed with a pinch of his cremation ashes that were so graciously given to me. So now, he is still able to fly the bird at the world.”
The iron cross and the spade are iconography closely associated with Lemmy and Motörhead. The legendary singer-bassist would often be seen wearing an iron cross necklace, and the band’s signature song is, of course, “Ace of Spades.”
Lemmy died at the age of 70 in December 2015. A few years ago, former MTV host Rick Riki Rachtman revealed that a portion of Lemmy’s ashes were placed in empty bullets and sent off to his closest friends.
More recently, it was announced that another portion of Lemmy’s ashes would forever be enshrined at the rock icon’s favorite haunt, the Rainbow Bar & Grill in West Hollywood.
Fans will be able to catch Hetfield’s newly tattooed right hand delivering monster riffs when Metallica resume their “M72 World Tour.” The band will hit Europe in late May before returning to North America for a new series of “no-repeat weekend” shows beginning August 2nd in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Tickets to the European shows are available here, while tickets to the North American concerts can be purchased here.
See James Hetfield showing off his new Lemmy-inspired tattoo in the Instagram post below, and revisit our 2023 Heavy Band of the Year interview with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett.
Photo Gallery – Metallica and support acts kick off North American “M72 World Tour” at MetLife Stadium in August 2023 (click to expand and scroll through):