Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell, 64, dies after 'courageous battle'

Welsh-born Phil Campbell, the longest-serving member of Motörhead after the late Lemmy Kilmister, died March 13 after 'a complex major operation.'

Guitarist Phil Campbell, best known for his three decades in the hard rock band Motörhead, has died after what his family described as "a complex major operation."

Campbell, who was 64, in 1984 joined Motörhead, a legendary band founded by the late Lemmy Kilmister in 1975. Campbell would go on to be the longest serving band-member besides Kilmister, who died in 2015.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Philip Anthony Campbell, who passed away peacefully last night following a long and courageous battle in intensive care after a complex major operation," said a post on the social media accounts for his band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.

Born in Pontypridd, Wales, Campbell founded metal band Persian Risk in 1979 before joining Motörhead. He and another guitarist Würzel (birth name Michael Burston) joined the band in 1984 to replace the departing Brian Robertson, according to Allmusic.com.

The first Motörhead album Campbell appeared on was 1986’s "Orgasmatron" and he would go on to record a total of 16 studio albums with the group, before it disbanded following Kilmister's 2015 death. Riffs Campbell contributed appear on songs such as “Deaf Forever,” “Eat the Rich,” and “Born to Raise Hell,” noted Rolling Stone.