Lemmy was extraordinary, though his health really deteriorated in the last few years of his life. Back in January 2016, soon after Lemmy and Bowie died, Henry Rollins did a spoken word show at the Barbican. He'd met Bowie, and spoke fondly of him, and spoke at length about Lem and their friendship over the years. Best anecdote (also recounted in a column for LA Weekly):
"One of my favorite Lemmy memories is from the beginning of this century. My bandmates and I were in a small plane, somewhere in Scandinavia, waiting on a hot tarmac for some late passengers. The inside of the plane was getting warmer and warmer. Whoever these people were who were making me sit and sweat better have a good excuse.
Finally, I saw humans clambering aboard. I smelled a combination of leather, sweat and tobacco. Motörhead walked down the aisle! All was forgiven.
Luckily, the seat next to me was open. Lemmy sat down. “Hello, Henry, mind if I sit with you?”
I pummeled the man with Hawkwind questions, which he happily fielded. Then the drink cart came by and Lem asked to inspect the alcohol. None of it met with his approval. He said to the attendant, “A glass. Ice. Coke.”
He looked across the aisle to one of his crew. “The bottle.” A bottle of brown liquor was handed to him and he prepared his drink. He remarked to me, “I will not be trammeled by a mere airline.” Lemmy gold."
