You can bet Kobe Bryant, a basketball player, will get a statue in front of Staples Center. Blech, who cares? I say we give one to the rock god who sang “Silver Machine,” then went on to brush his mutton-chops into a metal machine in Motörhead, where his whiskey-soaked vocals and crunching bass bridged punk with metal, turned up to 11.

Lemmy needs a statue, no a damn monument, in front of the bar where he became a fixture; the place where he played simulated card games, smoked cigarettes, drank endless amounts of whiskey, and shared war stories with his mates. 

Fact: There's a statue of Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott in front of a pub in Dublin. Lynott died on Jan. 4, 1986 — 30 years ago this week. 

There's now a Change.org petition calling for just that: a Lemmy statue to be built in front of Lemmy's favorite haunt, the legendary Rainbow Bar on Sunset Boulevard. The petition was created by Katon De Pena from classic underground thrash-metal band Hirax, who has also raised about $1,200 so far through a crowdfunding site to support the building of the statue (which he estimates will cost around $30,000). 

In the U.K., there's another Change.org petition asking for a statue of Lemmy to be erected in Trafalgar Square. Other absurd Lemmy-tribute petitions include renaming Britannia Bridge “Lemmy Bridge” and posthumously knighting the rocker (would Lemmy even have accepted such a royal distinction?).

But the Rainbow is where Lemmy's ghost wants to retire. For those who haven't been there: Imagine a classic Italian restaurant overtaken by a gang of pirates and transformed into the Sunset Strip's unofficial Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Shocking: Motörhead is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That's just wrong. 

Lemmy belongs forever at the Rainbow, where framed photos of rock legends line the brick walls, along with gold records and vintage guitars. When Motörhead's founder died last week at 70, the Rainbow became the guiding light and gathering spot for fans. Two days before his death, the Rainbow transported Lemmy's favorite video poker console to his nearby apartment so he could have one last go. Rainbow owner Mikael Maglieri was one of the last people to see Lemmy, who will forever be the bar's most beloved patron. 

De Pena's petition currently has more than 8,000 supporters, all of whom will either be there or sending their best wishes as the Rainbow holds a 12-hour memorial service for Lemmy this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. But when the cigarette ash and broken glass are cleared, we ask that the owner of the Rainbow, the city of West Hollywood, and all of Lemmy's fans (and rich rocker friends) fund an epic tribute that will become part of the Sunset Strip, forever. 

This can actually happen. Here is what De Pena had to say in a Facebook post last night:

I have been contacted by the owner of The Rainbow Bar And Grill Hollywood, CA. They are 100% supportive of the Statue for this Rock n Roll icon / legend Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister Mötorhead. We would appreciate the help and support from all fans and bands that have been touched by Lemmy in anyway. The statue will stand as a reminder of the greatest rock 'n' roll rebel who ever lived!! Signed – I Katon W. De Pena here is the link where you can contribute to the fund. The price to build the statue is $30,000. If you believe in the cause please repost and spread the link.

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