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Phil Campbell (7 May 1961 – 13 March 2026) was a Welsh rock musician best known as the guitarist for Motörhead from 1984 until the band’s disbandment in 2015 with the death of founder and frontman Lemmy.
He has travelled with his own band, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, which includes his three sons. Phil Campbell, a 64-year-old rock musician, died peacefully, his family confirmed.
Campbell’s family claimed he died after a “long and courageous battle in intensive care following a complex major operation” in a Facebook post. Their description of him was: “devoted husband, a wonderful father, and a proud and loving grandfather, known affectionately as ‘Bampi’.”
Phil Campbell Biography
Philip Anthony Campbell was born in Pontypridd on May 7, 1961, and began playing guitar at the age of ten, inspired and influenced by guitarists like as Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Jan Akkerman, Michael Schenker, and Todd Rundgren.
Campbell approached Lemmy after a Hawkwind concert when he was 12 years old and requested an autograph. By the age of 13, Campbell began performing semi-professionally with the cabaret band Contrast.
He then performed with the pub-rock band Roktopus (not to be confused with Rocktopus) at shows in and around South Wales. He purchased his first Les Paul in 1978 during a New Year’s Day guitar sale at a shop on Ealing Broadway in London. The instrument was eventually taken but returned.
Campbell established the heavy metal band Persian Risk in 1979, and he played on their 7″ singles “Calling For You” (1981) and “Ridin’ High” (1983). There have been compilation albums released that include some of his work with Persian Risk.
Career
Following Brian Robertson’s resignation on February 8, 1984, Motörhead organised auditions for a new guitarist, narrowing the field to two candidates: Michael ‘Würzel’ Burston and Philip Campbell.
Though Lemmy had intended to hire only one guitarist, he hired both Würzel and Campbell after hearing them perform together.
On February 14, 1984, Motörhead appeared as a musical guest on The Young Ones’ episode “Bambi”. No Remorse, one of the band’s most successful collections, came out shortly after, on September 15.
Campbell later travelled the world with the band and was a permanent member of Motörhead until their disbandment. On December 28, 2015, Lemmy, the band’s founder and sole constant member, died.
The following day, drummer Mikkey Dee declared Motörhead’s disbandment, saying, “We will not be doing any more tours or anything. And there will be no more recordings. But the fire survives, and Lemmy lives on in everyone’s hearts.”
In April 2020, Campbell opened up about how hard it was to see Lemmy struggle towards the end of his life saying that Lemmy “wasn’t quite himself” and that he had been “ageing a little bit more” on Motörhead’s final tour. He also admitted that the end of Motörhead was not easy to adjust to at first.
The second Motorhead’s Motorboat was a themed five-day trip from Miami to the Bahamas that featured Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band, one of the numerous support groups to headliners Motorhead, Anthrax, and Slayer, which evolved into Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons.
In November 2016, his new project, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, issued their first album, a self-titled EP. Subsequently, the band has supported Guns N’ Roses, Hawkwind, Saxon, and Airbourne.
In August 2017, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons announced that they would begin recording their debut album. On October 26, 2017, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons announced the title of their debut album, The Age of Absurdity, which was released on January 26, 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Romesh Dodangoda produced the album. Phil and his three boys were joined by Neil Starr, a former Attack! Attack! vocalist from South Wales, on the band’s debut record. Neil was replaced by vocalist Joel Peters in late 2021.
On Record Store Day, April 21, 2018, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons released a cover of Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine”. The song was formerly included as a bonus track on certain CD copies of The Age of Absurdity.
The second, We’re the Bastards, was released in 2020 and features Neil Starr on vocals. The third, a live album titled Live in the North, with Joel Peters on vocals, was recorded in Sunderland in 2021 and published in March 2023.
The fourth, Kings of the Asylum, was published on September 1, 2023, and was preceded by three videos containing the tracks “Schizophrenia”, “Hammer and Dance”, and “Strike the Match”, which were recorded during a special invite-only event in Cardiff.
Discography
- Calling for You” b/w “Chase the Dragon” 7″ (1981)
- Heavy Metal Heroes Vol. 2 compilation (1982)
- 60 Minutes Plus compilation (1982)
- All Hell Let Loose compilation (1983)
- “Ridin’ High” b/w “Hurt You” 7″ (1983)
- Orgasmatron (1986)
- Rock ‘n’ Roll (1987)
- 1916 (1991)
- March ör Die (1992)
- Bastards (1993)
- Sacrifice (1995)
- Overnight Sensation (1996)
- Snake Bite Love (1998)
- We Are Motörhead (2000)
- Hammered (2002)
- Inferno (2004)
- Kiss of Death (2006)
- Motörizer (2008)
- The Wörld Is Yours (2010)
- Aftershock (2013)
- Bad Magic (2015)
- Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons (EP) (2016)
- The Age Of Absurdity (2018)
- We’re the Bastards (2020)
- Live in the North (2023)
- Kings of the Asylum (2023)
Who is Phil Campbell Wife?
Phil Campbell is married to Gaynor Campbell. They live in Pontypridd with their three children.
Phil Campbell Cause of Death
Phil Campbell, Motörhead’s former guitarist, died at the age of 64 after undergoing a complex medical operation. His family confirmed that he died peacefully after spending time in intensive care following his surgery. Campbell was well-known for his contributions to the band and as a loving spouse and father.
Phil Campbell Net Worth
Phil Campbell’s net worth is estimated at $8 million.
Social Media
Instagram: @phil_campbell_and_the_bs