Former “Headbangers Ball” host Riki Rachtman spoke with Elliott Fullam of Little Punk People yesterday about his new Gimme Metal TV show called “The Ball” and he also went into more detail about his Lemmy bullet that he received as a personal gift.
He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I love MOTÖRHEAD. MOTÖRHEAD was a band that I was a huge fan of before I ever met Lemmy. When I was [very young], I liked MOTÖRHEAD, and they never, ever became a band that I was bored with; I always liked them. And then through [my Hollywood club] the Cathouse, I became friends with Lemmy, and then through MTV, I became better friends with Lemmy. He’d come to my house when I’d have barbecues, and he played my birthday party. And whenever I needed MOTÖRHEAD to do something at the Cathouse, Lemmy was always there. And he was just a very, very kind person and cool. I mean, he’s Lemmy.”
He continued: “I’d talk to [Lemmy‘s] manager once in a while, Todd Singerman — he’s such a great guy — and Todd says to me, ‘Hey, MOTÖRHEAD‘s got something for you. Lemmy‘s got something for you that’s personal. What’s the best address to send it. So I’m thinking they’re gonna send an album or something. I’ve got a lot of stuff.
“Lemmy was one of a few guys that him and Todd always used to wish me happy birthday. I have this ‘Happy Birthday’ thing from the city of Los Angeles that they sent me. They were always so good to me.
“And so I didn’t know what it was. So I get it in the mail, and I’m opening the box, and it doesn’t say who it’s from. And I’m, like, ‘I don’t know what this is.’ And I open the box, and I take out this little plastic thing, and there’s a bullet in it. And I was, like, ‘Wow. That’s kind of cool.’ And the bullet says ‘Lemmy‘. So I open this up, and this bullet says ‘Lemmy‘ on it. So I’m holding it. And I [tell my girlfriend], ‘Look how cool this is. This is a bullet.’ I wondered maybe this was from Lemmy‘s belt or something like this.
“So I got this letter from MOTÖRHEAD, and I’m reading it. And it says that when Lemmy died, he wanted his ashes to be put in bullets and given out to his close personal friends,” Riki added. “And when I read that, my eyes started getting really, really teary eyed. And I showed it to my girlfriend, and she started getting teary eyed.
“It is the greatest gift I’ve ever received in my life. It is, without a doubt, my prized possession. I’m getting it made into a necklace so I can keep it on me everywhere I go.
“When we did the Cathouse 30th anniversary, we did a tribute to MOTÖRHEAD, and we had a bunch of guys playing MOTÖRHEAD songs. And to know that Lemmy said that and gave that was very, very touching, and it means a lot to me.”
Rachtman‘s bullet is not the only one whose existence has been publicly revealed. Last year, tennis player Pat Cash shared a photo of another Lemmy bullet, saying it had been gifted to UGLY KID JOE singer Whitfield Crane.
“#Lemmy (RIP) from #Motörhead asked that his ashes be put in some bullet and given out to his closest friends, last night one was presented to my mate #whitefieldCrane whilst we were having dinner at ‘Lemmys bar’ in ‘The Rainbow’,” Cash wrote on Instagram in February 2020.
Lemmy died in December 2015 at the age of 70 shortly after learning he had been diagnosed with cancer.
He had dealt with several health issues over the last few years of his life, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking habits.
MOTÖRHEAD had to cancel a number of shows in 2015 because of Lemmy‘s poor health, although the band did manage to complete one final European tour a couple of weeks before his death.
Last June, it was announced that Lemmy will get the biopic treatment. The upcoming film, “Lemmy”, will be directed by Greg Olliver, who previously helmed the 2010 documentary of the same name, “Lemmy”.
“Lemmy” will go into production later this year, with VMI introducing the film at the Cannes virtual market. It will follow Kilmister‘s life growing up in Stoke-on-Trent, becoming a roadie for Jimi Hendrix and a member of seminal psychedelic rock band HAWKWIND before forming MOTÖRHEAD.
A custom-made urn containing Lemmy‘s ashes is on permanent display in a columbarium at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood, California.
