Larry Wallis: Motorhead’s Founding Guitarist
Larry Wallis helped form Motorhead in 1975, making him one of the band’s true founding members.
Born 19 May 1949 in England, he had already built a colorful reputation in London’s underground rock scene through the Pink Fairies before Lemmy Kilmister came calling.
Wallis played guitar on the original lineup’s only album, On Parole, though the record would not see release until years later.
He remained a fixture of British rock for decades afterward, writing songs for Dr. Feelgood and producing records at Stiff Records until his death in 2019.
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⚡ Key Takeaways
- Larry Wallis helped form Motorhead with Lemmy Kilmister in May 1975.
- He recorded On Parole, the band’s original lineup’s only album, which stayed unreleased until 1979.
- Wallis left Motorhead in February 1976, the same month Fast Eddie Clarke joined.
- He became an in-house performer and producer at Stiff Records soon after leaving.
- Larry Wallis died on 19 September 2019 at age 70.
Larry Wallis: Early Life and Pre-Motorhead Bands
Larry Wallis was born on 19 May 1949 in England.
He began playing in bands in the late 1960s, including a short lived group called The Entire Sioux Nation.
In 1970 he joined Steve Peregrin Took‘s band Shagrat, recording material that would not surface commercially for decades.
Those early Shagrat recordings eventually reached listeners in the early 1990s on limited edition vinyl, later compiled onto CD by a Japanese label in 2001.
He briefly joined UFO in 1972 before leaving that same year to join the Pink Fairies, appearing on their album Kings of Oblivion.
Most of that album’s material was written by him, giving him an early reputation as a genuine songwriter rather than just a hired guitarist.
How Did Larry Wallis Help Found Motorhead?
Wallis joined Motorhead in May 1975 while still a member of the Pink Fairies, forming the band’s very first lineup alongside Lemmy Kilmister and drummer Lucas Fox.
That original trio recorded together for only a few months before Fox left in September 1975.
Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor joined as the new drummer shortly afterward, keeping Wallis on as the band’s guitarist.
Wallis’s presence at the very start of the band makes him one of Motorhead’s true founding members.
Larry Wallis and the Making of On Parole
Wallis recorded On Parole with the band, the only studio album to feature the original lineup.
The label shelved the record after its completion, and it remained unreleased for years.
Motorhead’s own reputation eventually grew enough that On Parole finally saw release in 1979, well after Wallis had moved on.
The album stands as the clearest document of Motorhead’s earliest, least known era.
Why Did Larry Wallis Leave Motorhead in 1976?
Wallis left Motorhead in February 1976, the same month guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke joined the band.
His departure came less than a year after the band’s formation, closing out a brief but historically important tenure.
Wallis returned to his other projects, including further work with the Pink Fairies and Steve Peregrin Took.
He continued gigging with the Pink Fairies as a trio through 1976, later adding guitarist Martin Stone before that lineup released a single on Stiff Records.
His exit cleared the way for the classic Lemmy, Clarke, and Taylor lineup that would define Motorhead’s breakthrough years.
Despite the short overlap, all three musicians briefly shared the same lineup for a matter of weeks before his departure became final.
Larry Wallis at Stiff Records
After leaving Motorhead, Wallis became an in-house performer and producer at Stiff Records.
He released a solo single, Police Car backed with On Parole, produced by Nick Lowe.
Wallis also took part in the label’s Live Stiffs Tour in 1977, performing as Larry Wallis’ Psychedelic Rowdies.
His work helped shape the sound of one of the most influential independent labels of the era.
💡 Did You Know?
Wallis’s Stiff Records single Police Car was later covered by both The Members and singer Snips.
What Songs Did Larry Wallis Write for Other Artists?
Wallis wrote As Long As the Price Is Right, first recorded by Dr. Feelgood on their 1977 album Be Seeing You.
A live version of that song was later issued as its own single in 1979.
He wrote or co-wrote several other tracks the band went on to record over the following years.
He also produced records for Stiff Records artists including Wreckless Eric and The Adverts.
He additionally produced an EP and album for Mick Farren, a longtime collaborator dating back to his earliest bands.
These writing and production credits gave Wallis lasting influence well beyond his own bands.
💡 Did You Know?
Beyond As Long As the Price Is Right, Wallis wrote several other songs later performed by Dr. Feelgood, including Punch Drunk and Talk of the Devil.
The Pink Fairies Reunion Years
In 1987 the Pink Fairies reunited with Wallis on guitar and vocals, resulting in the album Kill ‘Em and Eat ‘Em.
The reunited band continued gigging sporadically across Europe before eventually splitting again.
A later archival release, At the Roundhouse and Previously Unreleased, combined the band’s original 1975 live show with additional recordings from throughout his career.
Wallis kept working with former bandmates through various one off shows and side projects into the following decade.
These reunions kept his connection to the Pink Fairies alive alongside his ongoing solo and session work.
Larry Wallis’s Later Life and Career
Wallis released his first true solo album, Death in the Guitarfternoon, in 2001.
A planned Pink Fairies reunion show at the Roundhouse in London was set for January 2007.
The gig was cancelled after Wallis suffered a trapped nerve in his back, and it was never rescheduled.
He remained connected to the British rock scene through recordings and collaborations for the rest of his life.
💡 Did You Know?
The 2007 Pink Fairies reunion show that Wallis was forced to cancel due to a back injury was never rescheduled in any form.
How Did Larry Wallis Die?
Larry Wallis died on 19 September 2019 at age 70.
Tributes described him as one of the more underappreciated figures of British underground rock, respected for his guitar work, songwriting, and production credits alike.
His death closed out a career that stretched from the earliest days of Motorhead through five decades of British rock history.
He remains remembered as one of the true architects of the band’s earliest sound.
People Also Ask
Was Larry Wallis in Motorhead?
Yes, Larry Wallis was a founding member of Motorhead, joining Lemmy Kilmister in May 1975 and recording the album On Parole.
He left the band in February 1976, the same month Fast Eddie Clarke joined as his replacement.
What album did Larry Wallis record with Motorhead?
Wallis recorded On Parole with Motorhead, the only album to feature the band’s original 1975 lineup.
The record remained unreleased until 1979, several years after Wallis had already left the band.
What band was Larry Wallis in before Motorhead?
Before joining Motorhead, Wallis played guitar for the Pink Fairies, appearing on their album Kings of Oblivion.
He remained connected to the Pink Fairies for years afterward, including a notable 1987 reunion album.
Watch Motorhead’s Earliest Era and Shop the Albums
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On Parole
1979 (recorded 1975-76)
Wallis’s only studio album with Motorhead.
Shelved for years before its eventual release.
Motorhead
1977
Released just a year after Wallis left the band.
Introduced the classic lineup that followed his departure.
Overkill
1979
Arrived the same year On Parole was finally released.
A breakthrough record for the classic lineup.
Ace of Spades
1980
The album that defined Motorhead years after Wallis’s exit.
Built on the foundation the original lineup helped establish.
You Might Also Like
Motorhead On Parole: The Band’s Shelved Debut
The only Motorhead album to feature Larry Wallis on guitar.
Fast Eddie Clarke: Motorhead’s Classic Era Guitarist
The guitarist who joined the very month Wallis left the band.
Philthy Animal Taylor: Motorhead’s Classic Era Drummer
The drummer who joined during Wallis’s own time in the band.
Motorhead Debut Album: The Chaotic Birth of a Legend
The 1977 record built on the foundation Wallis helped lay.
Wallis helped launch Motorhead before the band had any idea what it would become.
His brief tenure and the delayed release of On Parole make his chapter one of the more unusual footnotes in the band’s history.
Read the full lineup history of the members of Motorhead to see how Wallis’s founding era fits into the band’s larger story.
As of 2026, Larry Wallis is remembered as one of the true architects behind Motorhead’s earliest sound.
Last updated: July 26, 2026