Motorhead singer Lemmy Kilmister, whose gravelly vocals and bass playing helped define the British heavy metal sound of the 1970s and '80s, has died from cancer at the age of 70.

In a statement on Motorhead's official Facebook page, the band said Kilmister died from an aggressive form of cancer which was only diagnosed on Boxing Day.

"There is no easy way to say this... our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. He had learnt of the disease on December 26th... We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren't words," the post read.

Born December 24, 1945, Kilmister played bass with space rock pioneers Hawkwind before forming Motorhead in 1975.

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Motorhead's original drummer, 'Philthy' Phil Taylor, died in November.

The band is best known for its 1980 hit Ace of Spades.

Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne earlier said Kilmister had died, tweeting that: "Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today. He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side."

Tributes flowed for Kilmister on social media as news of his death spread.

Whitesnake and Deep Purple singer David Coverdale tweeted "thoughts and prayers for his family, friends and fans".

Kiss bassist and founding member Gene Simmons wrote: "Shake the heavens, my friend."

US music historian Eddie Trunk, who was among the first to report the news of Kilmister's death, said his passing was "a huge loss".

"You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who truly personified rock like Lemmy. One of a kind."

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