Hatfield is young. Metallica lineup

In this article I will try to talk about the metal girls and wives of the members, both past and present, of the Metallica group. Why should I try? If quite a lot is known about the other halves of Lars, James, Kirk and Robert, then we managed to collect some crumbs about the muses of the other accomplices.

During their Load / ReLoad, Metallica released one of the most beautiful videos, in my opinion, King Nothing, based on the works of Hieronymus Bosch about the paintings of Heaven and Hell. Where Paradise seemed gray and lifeless, and Hell (oh Hell!) was filled with life and bright colors.

A long time ago (in a place far, far away..., wait! this is not from there), back in 1981, Metallica began. Although, to be honest, it started a little earlier, when Ron McGovney and James Hetfield By hook or by crook they created the group “Leather Charm”. So, more about the former and current members of the Metallica group and a little of the scant information available about their personal lives.

McGovney Ron(Ron McGovney; 1963-11-02) Los Angeles native. He has two sons, Justin (born 1994) and Tyler (born 1996), and a daughter, Jordan (born 1999). Full biography We will not describe it, we will only note that after leaving proto-Metallica, in 1986 he played in the band Phantasm along with Katon De Pena, Rod Nicholson, Johnny Tabares and Nathan Williams (Nathan Williams).

Note ed. I rummaged through half the bourgeoisie: no matter how much I searched, I still couldn’t find any information about his wife. Either he is raising three children alone, or he is married. And who is the wife?!

Lloyd Grant(Lloyd Grant) lead guitarist who was never actually part of Metallica. How it really was.

In 1981, Lars agreed to include the song in the Metal Massacre compilation. The choice fell on “Hit The Lights”. So they invited Jamaican musician Lloyd Grant to record this song. McGovney wrote about this man:

“Lloyd listened to the song for five minutes and played a gorgeous solo. Then he left. Next I tried Mustaine. It turned out much worse for him.”

From 1985 to 1989 he played in the thrash metal band Defcon. In 1998 in the group “Pharaoh”.

It was also not possible to clarify any information about his personal life.

Mustaine David Scott(David Scott Mustaine), born in 1961, September 13th in La Mesa, California. Protestant by religion. By the way, his godfather is Alice Cooper. Mustaine's nickname was Dangerous Dave - then the computer toy of the same name was very popular, where main character shot and destroyed everything.

Mustaine's father John Jefferson Mustaine is Irish and a complete alcoholic. He was a branch manager for Bank of America. Then at the National Cash Register. In 1978, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and fell into a coma.

Emily Mustaine's mother is Jewish, originally from Essen, Germany. She worked as a maid on Linda Isle in Newport Beach, California. She was not too happy about her son’s passion for drinking, drugs and devilish music, since she was a Jehovah’s Witness. She died in 1990.

In 1965, the parents divorced. It is believed that John constantly terrorized the family and therefore they moved often.

There are older sisters. Michelle (Michelle, born in 1941). She married Stan, a patrol cop.

Suzanne (born 1946). She married Bob Wilkie, the Stanton police chief and a former minor league baseball player who was Mustaine's idol. Bob has a stepson, Mike, Dave's nephew. Looks like sister Sue did a good job. In 1975, Mustaine and his mother lived with Suzanne.

Debbie (Debbie, Deborah K. Mustaine, born in 1958). She married Mike Balli. His mother lived with Jack Lord, the host of the TV show Hawaii Five-0. Mike's younger brother Mark Balli played bass with John Voorhees, where Dave Mustaine was invited to play. The first song they played was "Panic in Detroit" David Bowie, which gave the group its name “Panic”. Debbie is friends with Mike Jordan.

At the age of 13, his Garden Grove friends introduced him to the magical world of marijuana. Then he lived in the village of Hermosa, near Huntington Beach. Studied at Golden West College. He was engaged in drug dealership. Moved to Pocatello, Idaho with Michelle and Stan. Then he returned to Orange County and enrolled in evening school. Worked in the garage.

Interesting fact. Since 1976, Mustaine has lived separately in a rented apartment (his mother kicked him out because of trading). At that time he was selling drugs. And one of his clients, often, due to lack of money, paid with records from Aeron Maiden, Motorhead, Judas Priest and AC/DC.

Mustaine's first band was called Panic. The group managed to play a single concert, after which, on the way back, the whole train crashed into a railway booth. The sound engineer and drummer died during the incident. Three songs from this group were subsequently included in Metallica's first album.

Dave co-wrote “Metal Militia”, “Phantom Lord”, “Jump In The Fire” and “Mechanix” (later James Hetfield would rename it “The Four Horsemen”) from “Kill em All” and “The Call Of Ktulhu” ( Megadez called "Hangar 18") and "Ride the Lightning" from "Ride the Lightning".

Interesting fact. The term “Ride the Lightning” itself is a slang wish for someone sentenced to death penalty in the electric chair.

One of the last straws in the relationship between Metallica and Mustaine was a trip from San Francisco to New York to meet Johnny Z. The meeting did not take place due to an accident with a jeep during a snowstorm in Wyoming: a truck flew from the left lane into a ditch. No one was hurt, but since the incident happened while Dave Mustaine was driving drunk, everyone knew it was time to get rid of him.

Dave Mustaine's last concert with Metallica was on April 9, 1983. Then their paths diverged. They say Lars, James and Cliff stood around Mustaine's bed with sour faces and pointed him to the door.

After Mustaine was “expelled” from Metallica, he founded the group “Fallen Angel”, which lasted until 1983. Then there was Megadez. But that's a completely different story.

Interestingly, “Go to Hell” by Megadez and “Enter Sandman” by Metallica have a similar verse: Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the lord my soul to keep If I die before I wake Pray the Lord my soul to take

They say Dave almost had a heart attack when he first heard “Enter Sandman.”

Mustaine's first girlfriend in 1974 (he was 13 years old at the time) was a girl named Linda. Willow's next friend worked at the Westminster Mall chain of stores. The speaker was Moira. Then from 1981 to 1988 there was Diane Aragon. There was a friend of Leslie.

Mustaine met his wife Pamela Anne Casselberry in 1991. On our first lunch date, she revealed that her father had died of cancer. And she doesn't like heavy metal at all. After which they made love. In 1991, on March 3rd, Dave and Pamela got married in Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

Dave wrote "The Hardest Part of Letting Go is Saying Goodbye" for his future wife.

They have a son, Justis David, born 1992-02-11, and a daughter, Electra Nicole, born 1998-01-28.

Some information taken from the book "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir by Joe Layden".

Cliff Barton(Clifford Lee Burton, 1962-02-10 - 1986-09-26), tragically deceased bass guitarist of Metallica. A little more about him. Native of the Castro Valley area of ​​San Francisco. Born at Eden Hospital at 9:38 am. He is 189 cm tall. His father is Ray Burton, a traffic engineer from Tennessee. Mother of Jan Burton school teacher, construction manager, died in 2003. Older brother Scott Burton (died 1975-05-19 at 11:50 on the way to the hospital from a brain aneurysm). Older sister of Connie Burton.

From 1980 to 1982 he dated Audrey Kimball, and from 1982 with Corinne Lynn. She stayed with him until his death in 1986.

Interesting fact. As a child, Cliff "caught" with his right hand fishing hook and tore his tendons, so he could not play either average or ring finger(information to be confirmed). Now when he played, it was like a rocker goat (fingers, devil-horns).

Now about the tragedy that happened. On Saturday, September 27, 1986, at dawn, on a winding, godforsaken mountain road from Stockholm to Copenhagen, at 5:15 am, one of the buses flew into oncoming traffic. In addition to the band members, it included drum technician Flemming Larsen, guitar assistants John Marshall and Aidan Mullen, and road manager Bobby Schneider. As a result, the bus fell on the side of the road on its side.

Mullen and Larsen, sleeping on side bunks on the right side of the wall, spent three unforgettable hours under the rubble until firefighters pulled them out. Lars broke a finger, James escaped with scratches, and Kirk nearly had his eyes gouged out while sneaking through the side escape hatch. Bobby Schneider, the tour manager, sprained his arm. Cliff was half sticking out of the bus window. After some time, the bus tilted a little more and this pile of scrap metal crushed Barton, who was probably still alive by that time.

At Cliff Barton's wake at Maxwell Ranch, "Orion" was played, his swan song. Cliff was cremated. Friends and relatives took a handful of his ashes, spoke to him and threw them into the ground. A tree was planted in that place.

Maxwell Ranch is a remote forest cabin where Clif jammed with friends. There are recorded and unreleased songs there called "The Maxwell Ranch Tapes" featuring Jim Martin, Dave Donato, Puffy Bordin and Clif. Many Metallica and Faith No More songs came out of these sessions.

His first flame, Audrey Kimball, received one of his basses. And for Corinne, among his luggage, there was a necklace - a Celtic Cross. Corinne remained with Barton for almost a year after his death. Truly a faithful woman. Her further fate, unfortunately, is unknown.

John Marshall(John Marshall), Kirk Hammett's guitar technician. When James broke his wrist in 1986, Marshall performed his parts. He behaved with restraint, despite his height of 2 meters, rocked Master of Puppets riffs when Hetfield sang. In 1993, when James was burned by stage pyrotechnics, John replaced him again and played as many as 12 Metallica concerts across Europe. John Marshall was later a guitarist in the band Metal Church. Currently works at Mesa/Boogie. Considered to be the fifth member of Metallica. Suffering from diabetes.

Nothing is known about his personal life either.

Rock Robert Jens(Robert Jens Rock, 1954-04-19, Winnipeg, Kannada), better known by his shortened pseudonym Bob Rock. Hair color is white (blond).

Played in the group Payola$ (Bribe). The most famous hit is “Eyes of a Stranger” from the movie “Valley Girl” (with Nicolas Cage).

Since 1990, he has produced for Metallica “Black Album” (“Metallica”), “Load”, “ReLoad”, “Garage Inc.”, “S&M”, “St. Anger." On the latter, due to the departure of Jason Newsted, he performed all the bass parts. He can be called the fifth studio or session member of Metallica. He also recorded soundtracks for “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Navy Seals,” “Mission: Impossible 2,” “Heavy Metal 2000” and, of course, the Metallica film “Some Kind of Monster.”

Angie's first wife. From her son Mike (Mick), born in 1980.

The other six children are from his second wife: Asia, Carly, Jonathon, Mandy, Lucy and Melody.

Newsted Jason Curtis(Jason Curtis Newsted, 1963-03-04), a native of Battle Creek, Michigan. Before Metallica, he played in all sorts of underground bands like Gangster, Dogz. In 1986, he went to an audition and was liked by Ulrich, Hetfield and Hammett. He stayed with Metallica right up until 2001, having recorded the first “Garage”, “And Justice for All”, the Black album “Metallica”, “Load” with “ReLoad”, the second “Garage” and “S&M”.

After Metallica he played in Echobrain, Papa Wheelie, Voivod, Rock Star Supernova. Sometimes he works as a session bassist for Ozzy Osbourne.

He met with a certain Elizabeth, who was much younger than him. They say that they often cheated on each other.

From 1986 to 1988, he lived with Lauren Collins, a college student from Phoenix.

From 1988 to 1991 he was married to Judy, his senior by several years. They got married in Illinois, but soon realized that the marriage was a mistake.

In 2000, he dated a certain Rachel, who seemed to be a Brazilian model with athletic appearance and a bad character. There were rumors that he met her at a ranch in Montana.

In October 2012, he married Nicole Smith (met in 2001).

Hetfield James Alan(James Alan Hetfield, 1963-08-03) native of Downey, California.

From 1983 to 1985, James's girlfriend was Leah Storkson, according to others

according to Leah Schechter. He met her when she was in the hospital and Ulrich, Hammett and Hetfield came to see her, along with her friend Rebecca Enrica Kestelyn, the future wife of Kirk and later Eric Peterson of Testament. Leah was also friends with Ron Quintana.

He married Francesca Tomasi in 1997, on August 17th. Born in Rosario, Argentina, born January 27, 1970. Eye color is blue. Hair color is white (blonde). Catholic. She studied at Overland High School in Aurora, Colorado (Overland High School, Aurora, Colorado, USA).

They have three children: Cali Tee Hetfield (1998-06-13), Castor Virgil Hetfield (2000-05-18 at 15:23) and Marcella (2002-01-17).

James said she worked as security in Denver but decided to continue traveling with Metallica. By the way, Francesca is the cousin of Eric Peterson, Testament guitarist.

Lars Ulrich(Lairs Ulrich, 1963-12-26), native of Gentoft, Denmark. Currently 166 cm tall.

Father Torben Ulrich, Danish tennis player, writer, musician and director (like a guy!, editor's note) was born 1928-10-04. In the 70s - 80s he participated in the Tennis Grand Masters tour, editor's translation. He fought for the Davis Cup many times. Lived in Seattle. Currently lives in Tiburon, California. In 2005, he founded the group “Instead Of”, which included cellist Lori Goldston, trumpeter and flautist Angelina Baldoz, drummer Jason Scott and Torben himself as vocalist.

From 1988 to 1990 he was married to Debbie Jones (English).

From 1997, from January 26 to March 2004, he was married to Skylar Satenstein (emergency doctor). The wedding ceremony was very modest and took place in Las Vegas. From her marriage, sons Myles Ulrich (1998-08-05) and Layne Ulrich (2001-05-06) were born. Lars himself said that they met in one of the New York bars and she had no idea who he was.

Interesting fact. Satenstein was the inspiration for "Skylar," Good Will Hunting's fetish - she and Matt Damon dated during college.

Later, Ulrich cohabited with the Danish actress Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen, 1965-07-03, a native of Frederikshavn, Denmark, starred in "Gladiator", "Soldier", "The Devil's Advocate"). In 2007, in the month of May, on the 21st, their son Bryce Thadeus Ulrich-Nielsen was born in San Francisco. Before Ulrich, first, in 1990, in the month of June, on the 2nd, Nielsen gave birth to a son, Sebastian.

In fact, Lars and Connie were never married. On one of the talk shows, the host says something like “you and your husband...”, and she says, “he’s not my husband, he’s my boyfriend,” and sits with a belly from Lars, about eight months old. Their relationship lasted until October 2012.

Ulrich's next passion was (Jessica Miller, born in 1985) - a model for all sorts of Vogue, H&M and others. Interestingly, she previously dated Brandon Boyd, guitarist for Incubuss, and later Daron Malakian, guitarist for System of a Down. She's attracted to rockers. Let's hope that after changing several previous ones, she will come to her senses and settle on the coolest drummer in all world rock music.

Hammett Kirk Lee(Kirk Lee Hammett 1962-11-18); native of San Francisco. Vegetarian. He is 171 cm tall. He often uses the nicknames The Ripper or Kirk Hampster. Buddhist.

Father is an Irish sailor, middle name unknown. The mother is Filipino, Teofila "Chefela" Oyao, a native of Cebu. Brother Rick. Tony's sister.

In 1987, on December 3rd, he married Rebecca Enrica Kestelyn and was married to her until 1990. Previously, Rebecca was married only once to Eric Peterson, guitarist from the band Testament. They have a child whose name, gender and date of birth have not been established.

Sometime in late June 2001, Rebecca was arrested in Petaluma, California for illegal driving. According to unconfirmed reports, Kirk and Rebecca's divorce was not completed and in the late 90s she received a sports car and some financial compensation from him. There are rumors that she has two children and takes drugs.

There is unconfirmed information that between 1995 and 1996, Kirk dated a girl named Sara, a law student.

In 1998, in January, on the 31st, at 2 pm local time, he married Lani Gruttadauro. One of the fans told Kirk that he works at funeral home and invited me to watch the autopsy. Hammett says that it was one of the first dates with his future wife, after which he realized that she was the one he was looking for. She has sons Angel Ray Keala Hammett (2006-09-26) and Vincenzo (Enzo, 2008-06-28).

Interesting fact. According to Rolling Stone magazine in 2003, he took 11th place among guitarists. Although among those currently alive, according to this list, he ranks 7th, behind BB King, Eric Clapton, Chuck Berry, Ry Cooder, Jimmy Page and Keith Richards. In 2011, this magazine showed us a new list, from which Kirk Hammett disappeared completely, but James Hetfield appeared. I made it all the way to the 87th line, dear. Apparently, in two years, Hat gave up all his vices and played furiously in the evenings and nights, not just what you thought, but guitar riffs. But Kirk fell into depression, began drinking and gambling. This is the only way to explain such radical changes. If you look at it like this, then on the basis of what the list was compiled is generally unclear, since, for example, it does not include such an outstanding guitarist as Joe Satriani. There is no Alvin Lee, no Billy Gibbons, no Igwie Malmstein. It seems that in our time, “Rolling Stone” are stones that have sunk to the very bottom. Well, God bless them.

James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963 in California. He is the rhythm guitarist and vocalist of the thrash metal band Metallica. Hatfield was one of the founders in October 1981. At that time, drummer Lars Ulrich placed an ad in a Los Angeles newspaper looking for musicians for the band. IN musically the band's work was influenced by such famous metal bands as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc. Since then, Metallica has received eight Grammy awards and released ten studio albums, three live albums, four EPs, 24 music videos and 45 singles. In 2009, Hetfield was ranked 8th in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.

As for his guitars and equipment, James started out with a relatively cheap copy of the Gibson Flying V that he used on Metallica's debut album Kill 'em All, but soon replaced it with a pair of white 1984 Gibson Explorers, which served him well on the following recordings. two albums.Since the late 1980s, he has used dual EMG 81/60 pickups very often, which eventually led to James's own pickups being called "Het", released in 2009. Hetfield's early guitar sound creativity was the result of using a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ as a preamp, driven by a 100W Marshall JCM800 for overdrive, while using a Roland JC120 for clean sound.

James Hetfield Guitars

1969 Gibson SG Standard

James bought this guitar from his high school friend who played with him in the school jazz band. Hetfield used this guitar to write his first songs and to play in his first bands. What happened to this instrument after the creation of Metallica, unfortunately, is unknown, since by that time James had already started using other guitars.

This electric guitar was purchased in 1980 for $200. Hetfield used it on Metallica's first album, Kill 'em All, and continued to play it until 1984, when it was damaged during a concert. At the time, the guitar was equipped with two Seymour Duncan Invader humbuckers and a Tune-o-Matic bridge.

Shortly before recording the Death Magnetic album in 2008, James decided to restore this guitar. He replaced some components, including the pickups, which were replaced with a set of EMG 81/60s.

This guitar was used by James on the Master of Puppets album in 1985 and on the subsequent tour. In mid-1985, production of this King V was completed. Initially, the instrument was equipped with a Tune-o-Matic bridge, Seymour Duncan Invader sounds and had White color. In 1987 James removed the original pickups and replaced them with EMG 81/60s.

One of acoustic guitars James Hetfield. Used for the studio recording of the song “Mama Said” and some concert performances.

Hetfield's first ESP guitar. He bought it just before recording the album “...And Justice For All” and used it as his main recording instrument.

1973 Gibson Les Paul Custom

One of James' main guitars from the St. Anger. It was used both during the studio recording sessions and on the tour that followed the album's release. This Les Paul Custom was released in 1973. The guitar has distinctive features such as a Maltese cross behind the bridge and a gold stripe above the pickups.

ESP/LTD Snakebyte

Snakebyte model of the guitar that James uses in Lately. She serves as the main guitar at concerts. The body and neck of the guitar are made of mahogany, and the fretboard is made of ebony.

James Hetfield is a musician who has become a true legend in his genre. His songs are known in all corners of our planet, and his performances invariably cause a huge sensation in every city. In a word, our today’s hero is a true legend. It is for this reason that talking about his life and fate is so interesting. Where did James Hetfield's life and career begin? What stages in his work should be called the most important? We will talk about all this in detail further in our brief narrative dedicated to the life and work of the great musician.

Early years, childhood of musician James Hetfield

The thing is that James Hetfield’s father, Virgil, left the family when our today’s hero was only thirteen years old. From that moment on, constant problems began in the life of their small family. Musician's mother - Opera singer Cynthia Hatfield constantly disappeared at performances and rehearsals, but despite this, there was still not enough money. Because of this, their family often moved from one house to another, but this did not always help cope with pressing financial difficulties.

Ultimately, disillusioned with life, Cynthia Hatfield turned to religion and became a follower of the Mary Baker Eddy Christian Science movement. From that moment on, the strange Christian teaching became an integral part of life. young musician and his family. James often attended church with his mother, and at the insistence of the clergy there, he honestly refused any medications. It is worth noting that Christian Science completely denied any medical intervention as such. That is why, when the mother of the future leader of Metallica was diagnosed with cancer, she refused any treatment on principle.

Because of this, James Hetfield lost his mother at the age of sixteen. Subsequently, an ambiguous attitude towards religion became the basis for many of the performer’s songs. As for creativity, our today's hero began to study music at the age of nine. At this age, he began to master the piano, and a few years later he also began to play his older brother’s drum kit.

James began performing for the first time with a semi-amateur musical group as a teenager. During this period, he gathered around himself a group of like-minded people, with whom he formed Music band"Obsession". Such famous musicians as Ron McGovney and Dave Marrs played in this group. However, even despite this, James Hetfield's first project did not last long.

Funny Metallica moments. Part 3

After the breakup of the group, our today's hero entered the high school Brea Olinda, where I studied for several years. During these years, he met several other young musicians, with whom he formed the Phantom Lord band. It is worth noting that Hetfield's second group also did not last long.

Despite this, some musicians from the previous project continued to perform with James even after the project disbanded. So, some time later, the third group of our today’s hero, “Leather Charm,” appeared in the town of Downey. This group included some former members of both of Hetfield's groups.

The musician performed with Leather Charm for several years. During this time, he managed to find many new friends, as well as accumulate some experience in stage performances. At some point, it even seemed to James that he had achieved everything he wanted, but this was just the beginning of his creative journey...

Metallica and the highlights of James Hetfield's future career

Interview with James Hetfield from the film Fatherless.

In 1983, the group signed several lucrative contracts and successfully released their debut album “Kill “em All”, which instantly became very popular. The group’s compositions made it into all the charts North America. And very soon James Hetfield became one of the most popular musicians in the USA.

The group’s fame was strengthened by the following albums “Ride the Lightning”, “Master of Puppets”, “...And Justice for All” and some others. Thus, in just a few years, Metallica acquired the status of a cult band. The group's concerts attracted thousands of people, and the group's albums and collections sold millions of copies. In the nineties, the group began performing outside the United States, literally blowing up stadiums in Canada, Australia, Great Britain and some other European countries.

It was only in the 2000s that interest in the group began to slowly fade away. Having established itself as a kind of symbol of the entire global rock industry, Metallica began to perform less frequently and record new compositions less often.

In 2003, the group released the album “St. Anger", which became the first in six years. During the recording of the record, James was actively recovering from alcoholism, and also tried to change his lifestyle somewhat. Ultimately he succeeded. But it didn’t work right away. In the mid-2000s, Metallica began touring extensively again. During this period, the band's concerts were also held in some countries of Eastern Europe. In 2008, James Hetfield's band recorded the album "Death Magnetic", which is currently the latest album by the legendary musical group.

Personal life of James Hetfield

After successfully completing treatment for alcoholism, James began to actively enjoy skateboarding, water skiing, and other sports.

James was born on August 3, 1963 in Los Angeles. A significant part of the life of his parents, Virgil and Cynthia Hatfield, was occupied by the Christian faith. And although this circumstance did not prevent dad from leaving the family, James barely turned 13 years old. The family did not practice any medicine; in matters of health, the parents relied entirely on the healing power of religion. And this circumstance greatly influenced the boy’s childhood and adolescence: at school (by the way, a completely ordinary secular school) he was not allowed to study human anatomy and visit doctors in order to obtain a certificate that would allow him to play on the school football team. Classmates openly laughed at this, James felt rejected and inferior. But, according to Hetfield, it was these experiences that helped him realize his uniqueness and direct all his energy into a creative direction. At the age of nine, the boy was sent to piano lessons. The lessons took place at the home of an old lady he knew, and James looked forward to their completion every time - after all, after the piano, his grandmother treated little Jim to fresh baked goods. And even though the repertoire studied in these courses was not particularly close to Hetfield, it was keyboard practice that gave him the skills to simultaneously play and sing.

Guitar, first bands, Lars

As a teenager, Hetfield mastered the electric guitar and began to develop his skills, playing covers of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy in various school bands - Obsession, Phantom Lord, Leather Charm... Old musicians left, new ones came, the guys honed their skills, performing at various parties. But, being involved in the Phantom Lord team, James makes acquaintance with his peer Lars Ulrich, who recently moved to the United States from Denmark and was racking his brains over the choice: whether to become a professional tennis player or devote his life to playing drums. James and Lars discover their commonality musical interests— Saxon, Judas Priest, Scorpions and decide to form a new group. This is how this musical union began, which has lasted for more than three decades. They are very different in almost everything - a huge American shirtless guy and a miniature, tight-knit European. But as soon as they meet, say, after taking a six-month vacation, it turns out that their fresh musical discoveries coincide down to the smallest detail. Perhaps this is the secret strong friendship- to be identical in one thing and radically different in everything else.

Cliff, glory, troubled times

Cliff Burton was the most educated of his Metallica colleagues. Both musically (being a classical pianist, he provided James, Lars and Kirk with ever-new knowledge of musical theory) and in terms of general erudition (his love of the work of H. P. Lovecraft found its place in compositions such as The Call Of Ktulu and The Thing That Should Not Be). James and Lars saw him during a concert of the band Trauma, where the future bassist of Metallica was shining, and with dropped jaws they swore to each other to get this diamond into their team. James and Cliff became very close - they had similar musical and political preferences, and their views on the world in general. Burton was an incredibly strong personality, his confidence was transmitted to every person who had the good fortune to communicate with him. And James is confident that if the tragedy with the band's bus had been avoided, Metallica's history would have taken a different path.

As Hetfield himself admits, he considers the Black Album a truly strong record and highly appreciates the fact that the musicians had the courage to work together with producer Bob Rock, known for his manner of keeping a tight rein on his players. But James feels almost no pride in the subsequent Load-Reload duology. And in his opinion, Cliff would agree with him in this opinion. And Burton’s will, combined with his powerful bass, would not have allowed the group to sound like U2 (this is how Hetfield characterizes the work of Metallica in the mid-nineties).

Righteous Wrath, Monster, Rick Rubin

For James St. Anger is less an album than a statement. And, concurrently, the soundtrack to the film Some Kind Of Monster. Jason Newsted left the group, and relations between the remaining trio became tense. And Bob Rock, who picked up the bass guitar, led Metallica to a new sound - straightforward, but at the same time fragmented and fragmented. Until now, this record is often rated by fans of the band as a failure, despite the presence of a number of truly interesting riffs and cool-sounding songs on it. And the above-mentioned film Some Kind Of Monster clearly shows what the band was like during the recording of the disc, what anger and negativity fueled the musicians during the recording sessions, how James Hetfield struggled with his alcoholic demons.

Rick Rubin is, by many accounts, the man who brought Johnny Cash and AC/DC back to their musical identity. And it was he who was chosen by Metallica, who were looking for a producer to record their new album. By creating Death Magnetic, the musicians (including new bassist Robert Trujillo) were able to truly spread their wings. Rick turned out to be the complete opposite of Bob Rock, who constantly maintained strict control over the recording process. Minimum pressure, maximum creative freedom - and the result was a disc that returned Metallica to its roots. James (like his bandmates) felt truly happy and free.

P.S.

James Hetfield is already in his sixties. He is still as cheerful and full of energy as he was in the early days of Metallica. And as he himself admitted in one of his interviews, it is when he is happy that the coolest and heaviest riffs come out from under his pick.

James Hetfield: Interesting Quotes

• I choose to live, not exist!
• I know many people who are afraid of death. They say: “Dying is scary. Dying is difficult."
  I don't agree with them - it's easy to die.
  It's much more difficult to live.
• The first time I played sober, because I simply forgot to drink. “Damn,” I thought, “I’m playing better.”
• Back in the good old days when we still played in clubs Los Angeles, people did not understand what we even wanted to convey to them. “Fuck,” they thought, “these fucking punks again,” and they threw chairs at us.
• Reporter: “How did the other group members feel when you returned from rehab?”
  James: “The boss is back.”
• My parents separated when I was 12-13 years old, and my mother died when I was 16. All that existed for me then was music. I wanted to keep everything under control, as if out of fear of loneliness. I'm afraid to trust people because I don't know how to do it. I don't understand how this is...
• We are Metallica, we come to a city, “tear it to shreds” and leave. That's how we started: we're 17-18 years old, we have something to say, so listen to us or we'll play louder and faster!
• You have to be in shape to rock that hard on stage every night. Come on, order me five more beers.
• The advice I would give to upcoming bands is to be honest with yourself, be honest with your music, write the music that you like. It's so simple

, Guitarist, Songwriter

James Alan Hetfield(English) James Alan Hetfield; genus. August 3, 1963), Downey, California USA) is the vocalist, rhythm guitarist and permanent leader of the American metal band Metallica. Since 2011, he has been ranked 87th on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest guitarists of all time. He has his own way of holding a pick with three fingers. He also has a strong, memorable voice and communication with the public.

James's father, Virgil Virgil, mind. in 1996), a bus driver who left the family when James was 13, and his mother, Cynthia. Cynthia), an opera singer, were followers of Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science religious movement and, according to James, much of his early life was associated with Christianity.

Consistent with their beliefs, Hatfield's parents disapproved of medicine and any kind of medical intervention, and did not give up their faith even when Cynthia was dying of cancer (James was 16 years old at the time). As James himself said, at first there were no problems at school, but when they talked about medicine, he left such lessons. He began to distance himself from everyone when he noticed negotiations behind his back.

His mother's death and difficult relationship with religion later became the main themes of many Metallica songs ("Mama Said", "Dyers Eve" and "The God That Failed" are about Hetfield's parents, and "Until It Sleeps" is about cancer).

Music career

James began playing music at the age of 9 on the piano, then played drums for his brother Dave, and finally switched to guitar. His first group was the amateur team "Obsession". The band consisted of the Veloz brothers on bass and drums and Jim Arnold on guitar. Ron McGovney and Dave Marrs sat in the attic of the Veloz garage, clicking on the control panel for the lighting effects. The band was playing famous compositions bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. After Obsession broke up, Marrs, Hetfield and McGovney continued to play together.

After moving to La Brea, James attended Brea Olinda School and met drummer Jim Mulligan. Soon Hugh Tanner appeared and with him they created Phantom Lord. With Hugh on lead guitar and Jim on drums, James sang and played rhythm guitar. The band went through several bass players until James graduated from high school and moved back to Downey.

In Downey, James moved into a house owned by Ron McGovney's parents, which was to be demolished due to the expansion of the expressway. This house was the perfect place for James and Ron to get together and listen and play music. James persuaded Ron to play bass guitar and even promised to teach him.

James' third group, Leather Charm, consisted of former members of Phantom Lord. In addition to James and Ron, it included Hugh Tanner and Jim Mulligan. The Leather Charm group was more successful. She played her songs and covers, such as Quiet Riot Slick Black Cadillac And Remember Tomorrow Iron Maiden. The group managed to play in several concerts and recorded a demo, but began to fall apart. Tanner was the first to leave the group and was replaced by Troy James. Mulligan then left for another, more progressive group. Ultimately, Leather Charm fell apart.

The most important event in James' life was a meeting with a native of Denmark, drummer Lars Ulrich. Together they founded the band Metallica.

Accidents

James Hetfield is famous for the accidents that happened to him. During the tour in support of the album Master Of Puppets he broke his arm skateboarding. Then James was replaced for the first time by John Marshall, who was accompanying the group at that time. Later, in 1987, he broke his arm again, causing the recording of the album to be delayed. …And Justice for All, and canceled several shows on the upcoming Monsters of Rock '87 tour. Subsequently, James' contracts included a "No Skateboards" clause.

But perhaps the most famous incident was at a joint concert with Guns N' Roses in 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium. During the performance of the song "Fade to Black", Hetfield walked over the pyrotechnic equipment at the moment it went off. As a result, James suffered second- and third-degree burns to his left arm and face and was forced to give up playing guitar. John Marshall from Metal Church was invited back to replace the rhythm guitarist for the duration of the tour. Before this concert, the pyrotechnicians informed the band that new special effects would be used during the performance of "Fade to Black": there would be fireworks along the edges of the stage. However, the pyrotechnicians forgot to warn that the old special effects would also remain. Confident that the previously announced special effects would not happen, James stood next to the pyrotechnic installation, and a column of flame 4 m high burned him on his left side.

Alcoholism rehabilitation

During the recording of the album St. Anger James Hetfield decided to undergo rehabilitation for alcoholism. The musician reduced his involvement in the recording process and returned to the studio to complete the disc eleven months after the course. James made his public appearance in 2003, when Metallica was nominated as MTV Icon of the Year.

After recording the album St. Anger in 2003, James suffered a serious ligament injury. Due to the use of Dropped C, a lower tuning than standard, on this album, James had to literally “spit out” the words, which resulted in problems with his voice. Gradually, James began to regain his voice, which can be heard when comparing newer live recordings with recordings from the St. Anger. A similar situation arose in 1991, when Hetfield lost his voice during a recording session. The Black Album. Then at concerts the band had to tune the guitars half a step lower to make it easier for James to sing.

Personal life

In his spare time, James enjoys hunting, collecting rare guitars, skateboarding, snowboarding, water skiing, working in his garage, watching his favorite team, the Oakland Raiders, and attending hot rod races. James enjoys the music of Black Sabbath, Venom, Motorhead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thin Lizzy, Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Ted Nugent.

He listed his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro for sale on eBay. The proceeds went to support the school's music program. The car was used in the video for the song “I Disappear” and was given to him as a gift after filming ended.

Hatfield married Francesca Tomasi. Francesca Tomasi) August 17, 1997, three children were born in her marriage: Kaylie (eng. Cali) (June 13, 1998), Castor (eng. Castor) (May 18, 2000) and Marcella (eng. Marcella) (January 17, 2002).

Guitars

James Hetfield is the owner large quantity guitars. His collection includes the following guitars:

Electric guitars

• Ken Lawrence Explorer
• Ken Lawrence Custom Les Paul
• Gibson Les Paul 57 Custom
• Gibson Les Paul Landers Style
• Gibson Explorer 1984
• Gibson Explorer 1976 "Rusty"
• Gibson Flying V
• Zemaitis Flying V
• James Trussart SteelDeville
• James Trussart SteelX Perforated
• ESP Iron Cross
• ESP JH-1
• ESP JH-2
• ESP JH-3
• ESP Snakebyte White
• ESP Snakebyte BLK
• ESP Explorer MX220 “Fuk’em up”
• ESP Explorer MX250 "Eet Fuk"
• ESP Explorer MX250 Black
• ESP Explorer MX250 White
• ESP Explorer MX250 "Man to wolf"
• ESP Explorer MX250 "Elk"
• ESP Explorer MX250 "Deer Skull"
• ESP Explorer MX250 "Papa Het"
• ESP LTD Grinch
• ESP Truckster
• ESP Black Truckster
• Gretsch White Falcon
• Fender Telecaster 1952
• Fender Telecaster with B-Bender
• Jackson King V "Kill Bon Jovi"

• Line 6 Acoustic Variax
• Gibson Chet Atkins

James Hetfield - photo