Lemmy and Me

Chapter 26: The Last Time I Saw Lemmy

Lemmy and Me — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:50:39 GMT

It was September 14, 2015. Although I would always go to see Motorhead if they were anywhere in New England (not to mention many other places in the country, as well as London or Dublin) I have to say, I felt an urgency to get there to see Lemmy, sensing that it would be the last time. I had seen recent photos and you didn’t need to be psychic to see t…

Chapter 25: Intimacy

Lemmy and Me — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 13:25:46 GMT

As I reminisce and write about the time I’d spent with Lemmy, it’s clear to me that I had many meaningful moments with him, some exhilarating, some bittersweet and yet, still, I wonder, “did I have a deep and enduring connection with him? Or was it all in my imagination?”

Instinctively, I always knew that he appreciated and needed my adoration, but that …

Chapter 24: As Lemmy and I Age

Lemmy and Me — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 16:00:39 GMT

Interlude

As I checked this post for last minute edits before publishing today, I got the devastating news that Phil has died at the age of 64. It was so shocking I dropped the phone as I read Mickeys announcement on Facebook. Ironically, this chapter addresses Lemmy’s health. I haven’t seen Phil in years, but I think of him often. He was always so sweet…

Chapter 23: Ronnie James Dio

Lemmy and Me — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:01:06 GMT

I drove down to New Jersey, at least, three times to see Motorhead and Lemmy. Always a wretched drive, I find the New Jersey Turnpike very scary even if the traffic isn’t overwhelming.

“Wretched…that’s a good word” Lemmy said when I described my trip as such.

One time, just as I was getting off the road, destination in site, my car, a little red Honda D…

Chapter 22: Lemmy in Ireland

Lemmy and Me — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Motorhead would sometimes begin their tours in Dublin, and would only be there for a night or two. I realized, in time, that they had a bit of an English prejudice, and that all of them thought the Irish were slightly “less than”. Having been at home for months in between tours, they would warm up for the rest of the tour in Dublin.

Once, Mickey, stiff f…

Chapter 21: Daddy Visits Motorhead

Lemmy and Me — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 18:00:33 GMT

My father

I was getting ready to drive to Pennsylvania to see Lemmy when my father called. “I hear you’ll be in Pittsburg? he asked. That’s not very far from me here in Ohio. I haven’t been there in years!”

Having worked in the steel industry he had connections to Pittsburg, “The Steel City”.

“I wouldn’t mind driving out there. Maybe we can meet up?”, he s…

Chapter 20: Lemmy in London

Lemmy and Me — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:00:40 GMT

Tom continued to disappear, out drinking, on a pretty regular basis. There was no use arguing about it. It was never going to change, but I came up with a delightful scheme to get a bit of my own back (even if he didn’t know it) and it would be exciting too!

I had been working with Commonwealth Opera for a few years now, costuming opera and musical class…

Chapter 19: Sylvie and the Golden Camel

Lemmy and Me — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:01:35 GMT

After the disastrous experience bringing Tom to see Motorhead, the next time they were in Hartford, though I got Tom and Sylvie’s boyfriend Robin in to see the show, I was not willing to ask for them to come backstage. Mickey had called to ask if I could pick up some shampoo for him, and when we arrived I grabbed Sylvie and whisked her onto the stage, s…

Chapter 18: Calling Lemmy

Lemmy and Me — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:00:26 GMT

I rarely called Lemmy, still not wanting to wear out my welcome. I knew I still couldn’t deal with any rejection from him, just as it was in my youth.

However, I did call him when I was distressed at finding out that Sun, my son, at the age of 16, was addicted to heroin. I didn’t know what to do…

In desperation, I called Lemmy for advice and commiseration…

Chapter 17: Hartford and Poughkeepsie

Lemmy and Me — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 17:01:34 GMT

Though I was now in a tumultuous relationship with Tom, I vowed no relationship would keep me from seeing Lemmy or restrict any sexual involvement I might choose to have with him. I had always regretted that I didn’t let Lemmy seduce me the first time I saw him after twenty years. After nearly 20 years of a restrictive marriage I wouldn’t make that mist…

Chapter 16: Freedom

Lemmy and Me — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:00:49 GMT

The next time I saw Lemmy, of course, I told him that my marriage had completely ended. We talked about the effects of the Vietnam War on Marines, as well as their families. For the first time I told Lemmy how bad my marital relationship had become.

“Poor bastard” he responded, shaking his bowed head. Obviously, Lemmy identified with warriors, as evidenc…

Chapter 15: The End of a Marriage NYC

Lemmy and Me — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:02:15 GMT

We were twenty years, or so, past the Vietnam War, and somehow the effects of it now seemed to be illuminated for many veterans. That certainly was the case for Brian. After having a panic attack that landed him in the hospital he was in therapy at the VA and had come out of it with a 100% disability. It was nice for our family to have a stable income, …

Chapter 14: A Romantic Interlude

Lemmy and Me — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:02:32 GMT

I drove to Providence, Rhode Island to see Lemmy. It had been many months since I last saw Lemmy. Things had changed in my life. My marriage was breaking down at this point, my husband in the throes of PTSD from his time in Vietnam. We had some dramatic situations and Brian had taken off with a woman for a weekend, (something he justifies to this day!) …

Chapter 13: A Magical Night

Lemmy and Me — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 17:02:40 GMT

So, I nervously got dressed to go see Lemmy, once again in Connecticut, at Toad’s Place in New Haven. Still not in tune with the heavy metal aesthetic, I dressed in a flowered silk dress I’d made as a dance costume, which years later I wore dancing in Russia. Over the dress I wore a flowing silk velvet cloak I’d made for myself just because it was somet…

Chapter 12: The Motorhead Years

Lemmy and Me — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:00:31 GMT

Lemmy’s spot backstage photo credit Cynthia James

Chapter 11: At Last...

Lemmy and Me — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 17:00:45 GMT

Now all I had to do was buy something to wear, rent a car, get a babysitter, and somehow appease my jealous husband…Ha!

I went out and bought a short, black, high-necked sweater dress which showed my shape, without being obviously sexy. I was more interested in showing off my legs, my best feature. More than one man has actually followed me down the stre…

Chapter 10: Angelic Intervention

Lemmy and Me — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 17:00:57 GMT

This chapter of the story is amazing to me! It’s a great “Law of Attraction” story. In case you’re not familiar, the theory and science of it is that you can, in fact, manifest what you want in your life if you can access the feeling of receiving it without having an attachment to it manifesting.

So, yes, I wished that I could go see Lemmy in New York, b…

Chapter 9: The Phone Call

Lemmy and Me — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Lemmy called the next day. My friend Barbara was there when he called. I had just met her recently and she was often at my house. We’d drink tea and talk endlessly, usually about men she was interested in, reading tarot cards and throwing the I Ching. Now, with breathless anticipation, we talked of nothing else but Lemmy since I’d left the message the d…

Chapter 8: Twenty Years Later

Lemmy and Me — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:01:00 GMT

Brian, Cynthia, Sun, and Sylvie 1987 photo credit: My mother!

Chapter 7: But I Digress

Lemmy and Me — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:02:00 GMT

Later that week I called my father on the payphone installed in the hallway at Mrs Johnston’s where I lived. I was calling to ask for money. I had just passed the advanced Royal Academy of Dance exam and needed money to pay for the certificate. I didn’t even have enough money to buy the pointe shoes I needed for school, and my teachers were not sympath…