James Hetfield,

James Alan Hetfield (born in Dowey, California, August 3, 1963) is the main songwriter, co-founder, singer and rhythm guitarist of heavy metal group Metallica.

Biography James Hetfield


Early life

Hetfield was born August 3, 1963. He is of German descent England, Ireland and Scotland. He has two older half siblings from his mother's first marriage and one sister. He attended Downey High School first and second year.

His father, Virgil, was a truck driver who left the family when Hetfield was young. His mother, Cynthia, is a singer of light opera. The two divorced in 1976. Virgil and Cynthia is a very strict Christian Scientists, and in accordance with their beliefs, Hetfield parents who strongly disagree with medication or other treatment and remained loyal to their faith even as Cynthia was dying of cancer. Education is an inspiration to many of the lyrics Hetfield later in his career with Metallica, as songs like "God That Failed".
Cynthia Hetfield died of cancer in 1979 when James was 16 years old. After the death of his mother, Hetfield-old living with his half-brother of David. Virgil died in late 1996, during a tour of the burden of Metallica.


Music influence


Hetfield was nine years old when he first began piano lessons, after which he took his brother David's drums and finally, at the age of fourteen, he began playing guitar with Robert Okner.  He has also been in several bands as a teenager - a creature Leather Charm, and other obsessions.


Hetfield identifies Aerosmith as having been a major musical influences as a child,  and has told them the reason he wanted to play guitar. He also mentioned Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC / DC, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent and Deep Purple as an important influence.


Metallica (1981-present)

James Hetfield, Metallica Vocalist

In the early days of this band, Metallica experimented with different vocal and guitar combination, essentially creating a setup similar to Diamond Head. Some of the options considered included adding another guitarist, having played lead guitar John Street, as well as asking John Bush from Armored Saint (who later joined Anthrax) to sing for the band. Line-up finish of the band became Hetfield (vocals and guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass) who was replaced by Cliff Burton shortly.


From 1982 to 1983, Mustaine alcoholism triggers hot altercations between Hetfield and himself.  Mustaine also once poured beer into Ron McGovney's bass almost cause serious damage. On 1 April 1983, the band recruited guitarist Kirk Hammett from Exodus band and 10 days later, Hetfield and Ulrich Mustaine officially released because it's alcoholic tendencies.  Mustaine was sent home in a bus trip for 4 days, and then form a heavy metal band Megadeth. Then, Mustaine will be quoted to wonder why Metallica did not send him to rehab, but the other band members own heavy drinking, especially Hetfield, Mustaine alcoholism is more aggressive.



Hetfield in 2008

Until the mid-1990s, Hetfield recorded all rhythm tracks and most harmony tracks [citation needed]. Since the recording of the load, Hammett is recording rhythm guitar as well. Hetfield occasionally plays solo guitar on songs like "Nothing Else Matters", "My Friend of Misery", the outro solo on "The Outlaw Torn", the second solo "To Live Is to Die", the first solo on "Suicide and Redemption", The first interlude solo on "Master of Puppets", harmonized solo on "Orion" and the introduction of harmonized solo in "Day That Never Comes". He also wrote most of the guitar harmonies, and the lyrics, vocal melodies, and co-arrange songs with Ulrich.


Hetfield has been involved in a stage accident, the most notable being an incident with fireworks at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal during the Guns N Roses' / Metallica Stadium Tour on August 8, 1992. Hetfield is the victim of a severe accident fireworks during "Fade to Black" songs, in which the pyrotechnic explosive. Hetfield guitar that protects him from the full force of the explosion, but the fire engulfed her left side, burning hands, arms, eyebrows, face and hair. He suffered burns second and third degrees, but the return on stage 17 days later, although his guitar duties handed over to former guitar tech and Metal Church guitarist John Marshall for four weeks while he made a full recovery.


Hetfield also broke his arm several times while skateboarding, which prevented him from playing guitar on stage, and then causes Hetfield's management company Q Prime Hetfield add a clause in her contract that forbids him to ride a skateboard while touring band. During a live show on tour for Metallica, Hetfield suffered complications after a cover with a vocal Anti-Nowhere League song "So What?", Forcing him to take vocal lessons for the first time. He did the basic exercises to warm up the piano keys with his vocal coach who also gave him tapes of piano warm-up for future use. Hetfield still uses the same tape he was given in the early nineties until today before a live performance or recording Metallica does. Hetfield talked about trying his vocal training in the Metallica documentary, Some Kind of Monster produced & directed by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky.During band's eighth studio album St. Anger in 2001, Hetfield entered rehab to address his alcohol addiction. He rejoined the band after seven months in rehabilitation and four months recovering with his family. He is now clean and sober and determined to remain so, all of which was featured in Some Kind of Monster.


Some Types of Monster also shows the album St. Anger, and documenting the various conflicts and problems the band was facing at that time included the departure of Jason Newsted, alcoholism, family commitments, and the future of rock band with many in the press questioned whether the band would even still together to see the completion of the album St. Anger.
Hetfield and Metallica bassist addressed their need to recruit new with Robert Trujillo, former bass player from Ozzy Osbourne. That's more than a swap since Ozzy Osbourne shocking recruiting Jason Newsted transfer.The Trujillo shortly after the new line-up continued to make music and tour worldwide. Metallica's ninth album, Death Magnetic, was released on September 12, 2008. Like St. Anger and every album of original material released by Metallica since 1991 Metallica, Death Magnetic went to # 1 on the Billboard charts in over 30 countries during the first week of release.


On April 4, 2009, Hetfield, along with the rest of the members of Metallica Ulrich, Hammett, Trujillo, and former bassist Cliff Burton died Newsted and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In an interview after their nomination, Hetfield commented that everyone who has appeared on albums with the band will be inducted. This does not include original guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist Ron McGovney original, because they have appeared only on the band's early demo tapes.
Hetfield was ranked 24 in Top Hit Parader Metal Vocalist of All Time. In 2009 he was listed at number 8 in the book Joel McIver, The 100 Greatest Metal guitarist.