"Fast" Eddie Clarke, the guitarist best known for his time in the influential hard-rock band Motörhead, died Jan. 10 after being hospitalized for pneumonia. He was 67 years old.
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Clarke joined what is considered the classic Motörhead lineup after the band decided they needed a second guitar player in 1976. However, immediately after the auditions, founding guitarist Larry Willis quit and Clarke took on the role of sole guitarist along with frontman/bassist Lemmy Kilmister and drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor. Clarke remained with the British band through some of their most iconic recordings, including "Ace Of Spades," "Overkill," "(We Are) The Roadcrew," "Bomber," and "Motörhead."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The last ace has left us. Fast Eddie lives on through his<br>music, may he Rest In Peace. <a href="https://t.co/UbswO0eKRJ">pic.twitter.com/UbswO0eKRJ</a></p>— Kirk Hammett (@KirkHammett) <a href="https://twitter.com/KirkHammett/status/951531309796442112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2018</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Following his departure from Motörhead in 1982, Clarke formed the band Fastway with UFO bassist Pete Way. They auditioned and hired singer Dave King and Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley. Fastway released their debut self-titled album in 1983, which peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard 200. The title track of their second album, "Say What You Will" reached No. 13 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in 1983.
Clarke also released the solo album It Ain't Over Till It's Over in 1994, which he followed two decades later with his 2014 blues-inspired LP, Make My Day — Back To Blues.
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Clarke's death follows the passings of fellow Motörhead bandmates Kilmister and Taylor in 2015.
"Just heard the sad news that Fast Eddie Clarke has passed away," Motörhead guitarist from 1984–2015 Phil Campbell said in a Facebook post. "Such a shock, he will be remembered for his iconic riffs and was a true rock n roller. Rip Eddie."
