Phil Campbell, the longtime Motörhead guitarist and later leader of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, has passed away at the age of 64. His passing was announced on March 14 in a statement shared by his family and by the band that includes his sons.
Cause of Death
In their message on Instagram, Campbell’s family said he died peacefully after spending time in intensive care following a “complex and major operation,” Parade reported.
The statement described Campbell as a devoted husband, father and grandfather, noting he was affectionately known as “Bampi,” and asked for privacy as the family mourns.
Campbell’s death prompted tributes from fellow musicians, with Doro Pesch writing on Instagram that she was “at a loss for words” and calling it an honour to have been his friend.
Former bandmate Mikkey Dee also praised Campbell’s personality and playing, calling him “the funniest guy” he had ever known and “the best rock guitar player” he had played with.
Campbell joined Motörhead in 1984 after auditioning alongside Michael “Würzel” Burston, staying with the band until frontman Lemmy Kilmister’s death in 2015; Alternative Nation has previously revisited the group’s later years, including when Lemmy made an eerie remark about death at a Metallica show.
In recent months, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons had cancelled an Australian tour on medical advice, saying his health would remain the top priority. Campbell’s legacy now rests in decades of recorded work and the generations of players influenced by his signature Motörhead riffs.
