Phil Taylor grave (21st September 1954 to 12th November 2015)

 

Some rock stars are born into lowly circumstances, become rich and successful, travel the world, die early and are brought "back home" to be buried. Here is one of them. In these photos I am by the grave of a drummer whose is buried in the quiet town in which he was born. He was a drummer and part of the original Motorhead line-up recording eleven studio albums and four live albums.

 

He was born in Hasland in Derbyshire but grew up in Leeds. He took up the drums on his dad’s advice and was 21 years old when he met rock dude Lemmy (who was in Hawkwind at the time.) They had little money and when Motorhead was created Phil was asked to replace the existing drummer as he had a car and could run the band members around. He was 25 when the seminal Ace of Spades album was released in 1980. One day he broke his neck but survived. A friend was showing off his muscle power and lifted Phil above another friend. He was dropped him - on his head and was hospitalised (he wore a neck brace for a while.) The accident left him with a permanent lump on the back of his neck (calcium build-up) which he called his "knob".

 

He was 30 when he left Motörhead and played in other bands. Three years later he was back and remained for another five years. His performance was suffering due to excesses and was given stern warnings to pull himself together. He was too far gone though and was sacked. Aged 51 he was in a group called The Web of Spider but it only lasted for three years. There were many other projects and other formations of groups but nothing as commercially successful as Motorhead.

 

He died of liver failure in London aged 61 and left £1.3 million mainly to his two sisters. He’d been married years ago but employed a private detective to track down his wife to ensure she couldn't claim on his estate. Only seven weeks after his death Lemmy died aged 70 from prostate cancer and heart disease.

 

On that quiet Bank Holiday Monday afternoon I had a drive around Hasland town. It has a population of 7000 and seemed proportionately quiet. I guessed it was probably quiet anyway despite the national day off. I drove up to the cemetery which seemed quieter. I can't recall seeing anyone else there as I took a few photos. Some fans had left drum sticks and a few mementos. Sixty-one years old - not much is it? Perhaps if Phil hadn't heeded his dad's advice to take up the drums he'd be alive now having lived a more sedate life. I picked up a drum stick and thought I might keep it but put it back for fear of being struck down. I did a salute and left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The church across the road from the cemetery...