Metallica soloist James Hetfield: biography, photos and interesting facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Metallica has been officially active since 1981. Already from its name it is clear that the main styles are heavy metal and hard rock. For more than thirty years, the team has firmly secured the title of the most successful and influential group in the world. What is the secret of such popularity and who is the lead singer of Metallica? We will try to understand these issues.

History of the band

In October 1981, an announcement appeared in the American edition of The Recycler about the creation of a rock band. Its authors were musicians James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Soon the composition was formed. The only thing left is its name. At the same time, a magazine about British and American heavy metal bands was opening in Los Angeles. Among the trial names was Metallica. That is what the young team borrowed.

Throughout the existence of the musical group, its composition has changed periodically. It was due to voluntary withdrawalmusicians (Ron McGovney) or their deaths (Cliff Burton). Only the founders of the musical group remain permanent - the lead singer of Metallica James Hetfield (aka rhythm guitar) and drummer Lars Ulrich. However, the leader is still the first musician. It is about him that will be discussed in this article.

Biography

One of the most frequently asked questions: “How old is the lead singer of Metallica?”. And the answer to it is sometimes simply amazing. James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963 in the small town of Downey (USA, California). He was brought up in a Christian manner, so it was hard to imagine that such an obedient and calm boy would grow up as a reckless Metallica soloist. His biography is full of surprises and mysteries. But the root of all events, according to James himself, lies in his family.

Hatfield's father's name was Virgil. He worked as a bus driver, left the family when his son was barely 13 years old. Mother Cynthia lived after the divorce for another three years and died of cancer. The parents of the future musician belonged to the religious movement of the Christian Science of Mary Baker Eddy. Their beliefs denied any intervention of medicine in human life. Since any disease in this theory is of a spiritual nature, healing must also take place on a spiritual level. This belief was so strong that even before her death, James's mother did not back down from it.

Influenced by such views, young Hatfield had to leave the lessons, where they talked about medicine and its achievements. The situation has reached the point where peersbegan to whisper behind James's back, and he moved away from them.

Tragic events and the theme of religion later became the main themes of the musician's work. Metallica lead singer James Hetfield dedicated more than a dozen songs to them. Among them: Mama said, The God that failed, Until it sleeps.

Creativity

Despite his religious childhood, James started playing music early. At the age of 9, he already played the piano and drums, which he borrowed from his brother David. And only after that did he make a conscious choice in favor of the guitar.

Metallica is the only serious project that Hatfield has been working towards for years. Prior to that, he created amateur bands Obsession and Phantom Lord, who covered famous hits from rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. During the existence of his second group, James moved to La Brea and studied at Brea Ollinda School. After the end of it, he returned to his native Downey, and the group broke up.

In his hometown, the musician settled in the house of his friend Ron McGovney, which was then demolished. It was perfect for a creative studio. There, the guys rehearsed diligently, honing their guitar playing skills. Later they were joined by musicians from the previous band, in which the future Metallica soloist played. Photos in his youth, unfortunately, did not retain the memory of this period. However, the group was formed and named Leather Charm. She turned out to be more successful. The guys wrote their own songs and even performed at several concerts. However, constant departures and replacements of musicians eventually ruined the group.

The most important and turning point in James's life, perhaps, can be considered an acquaintance with drummer Lars Ulrich.

The success of their duet is clear to many. Both musicians are devoted to music to the depths of their souls and from the very beginning they understood the seriousness and responsibility of the project they were taking on. In addition, the guys are really talented. The lead singer of Metallica has a strong and catchy vocals. And journalists note his special manner of interacting with the public and the peculiarity of holding his pick with three fingers.

Private life

James Hetfield can be called an exemplary family man. In 1997, he married the charming Francesca Tomasi, with whom he has been together ever since. The couple have three children: daughters Caylee and Marcella and son Castor.

James has a difficult relationship with religion since childhood, so he did not set himself the task of raising children in a Christian or other manner. His goal has always been to raise worthy people. Although he was not a bright positive example, his children received a good education. Castor and Kylie are known to try their hand at movies.

In honor of his family, Hatfield got a tattoo of a glowing cross and hands folded in prayer. Complementing the tattoos are the names of his children.

Voice problems

In 1991 and 2003, Hatfield had problems with his vocal cords. Both cases were related to the peculiarities of the compositions during recording. For the first time, the lead singer of Metallica lost his voice when recordingnext album (The Black Album). Due to the injury, fellow musicians at concerts had to rebuild their guitars literally half a step lower. However, the songs did not lose their original sound from this.

In 2003, Hatfield faced the challenge of recording St. Anger on low setting (Dropped C). In this case, it was necessary to literally “spit out” the words. As a result of such a musical experiment, the lead singer of Metallica received a serious injury to his vocal cords. Of course, gradually the voice returned to the musician. This is especially noticeable when comparing the new live recordings with the audio of the time.

Alcoholism

In modern society, there is a stereotype that all rock stars are addicted to alcohol or drugs. This is partly true. "Heavy" music, crazy, full of drive concerts and tireless creative search, experiments take a lot of energy, keep you in suspense. Therefore, musicians begin to look for a source for relaxation and recharging. The history of world music knows many such examples.

Metallica lead singer James Hetfield has not escaped the problem of alcohol addiction either. True, in his case everything went well. During the intense recording of the same St. Anger in 2003, the musician voluntarily went to rehab for alcoholism. The course lasted 11 months. At this time, James managed to combine treatment with recording an album. After finishing rehab, he immediately stepped onto the red carpet to receive the MTV Icon of the Year award.

Accidents

Besides music,which is created and performed by the lead singer of the Metallica group, his name has also become famous for frequent accidents. So, for example, during the tour to promote the Master of Puppets album, James Hetfield broke his arm while riding a skateboard. Fortunately for the group, John Marshall was able to replace the soloist at the concerts. At the time, he was Metallica's tour guide.

In 1987, the skateboard incident was repeated. Then, for this reason, the band had to cancel the recording of the next album and several shows on the upcoming Monsters of Rock'87 tour. Of course, such accidents were hard on the pocket of the entire Metallica team, so a special clause was added to Hatfield's contract: "No skateboards."

However, the most serious and famous accident that the lead singer of Metallica survived (photo saved in the musician's archive) was burns from pyrotechnics during a concert in 1992. Then the group performed with Guns'n'Roses at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. During the performance of another composition, James Hetfield went to the pyrotechnic equipment. A high column of fire (about four meters high) touched the left side of the musician's body. As it turned out later, before the concert, a team of pyrotechnicians prepared new special effects - fireworks on the sides of the stage. However, I forgot to warn about the work of old special effects in the central part of the edge of the stage. That is why Hatfield so confidently went in that direction, closer to the public. As a result, the musician seriously burned his left hand and face. He had to give up performing and playing the guitar for a while. On hisRhythm guitarist John Marshall from the band Metal Church was again invited to the venue.

Guitar collection

What is the name of the lead singer of "Metallic", today, perhaps, very many people know. However, hardly anyone knows that James Hetfield is the owner of a large collection of rare guitars. Many of them were presented to the musician.

Of course, the vast majority of them are electronic instruments, namely 31 guitars of famous musical brands: Gibson Les Paul, ESP, Gretch. A real rarity in the collection is the 1952 Fender Telecaster electric guitar. According to Hatfield himself, the Jackson King V gift guitar marked Kill Bon Jovi is considered his favorite.

There are only two acoustic models in the collection.

Achievements

Metallica's soloist's name has consistently been a leader in all music ratings for three decades. The group suddenly burst into world music and literally from the first notes won the hearts of millions of listeners. Of course, such a dizzying success could not remain aloof from the assessment of experienced critics and experts. Today, the Metallica collection (since 1990) has about two dozen awards. These are awards for the best metal performances, and marks for successful albums and compositions, and awards for the best metal video. So, for example, in 1996, the musical group was awarded the title of the most beloved in the style of metal / hard rock, and frontman James Hetfield, respectively, was named the bestperformer. Also in 2009, Metallica was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Interesting facts

Despite his reputation as a badass and noisy party-goer, the Metallica frontman is a very versatile person.

This is evidenced by a number of interesting facts:

• In his free time, James Hetfield hunts, enjoys art design, skateboarding, water skiing and snowboarding. He has a garage that he has converted into a workshop.
• The musician is also a sports fan. He oversees the Oakland Raiders and the San Jose Sharks hockey team. Another passion of Hatfield is hot rod racing (American cars that accelerate to the maximum possible speed).
• James is not a narcissistic musician. He treats many rock bands with respect and sympathy. Among them: Black Sabbath, Motorhead and NickCave.
• Hetfield positions himself in music as a self-cleaner. He sincerely surprises that people like the garbage that he "throws out of his head." Of course, the musician is ironic. Otherwise, the group is unlikely to have lasted so long and had such success.
• In 2000 Metallica released a music video for the song I Disappear. In it, each musician played a certain role. The least "dangerous" was played by Metallica's lead singer James Hetfield. Photos and videos of him on a luxurious Chevrolet Camaro (1968) were appreciated by millions of fans. Popularityspurred and charitable history associated with the car. After filming the video, it was presented to the band's frontman. However, he, in turn, put the Chevrolet up for sale on eBay. Hetfield donated the proceeds to support the school's music program.
• It is known that the music of Metallica was used to torture detainees in one of the American prisons. Upon learning of this fact, Hatfield laughed it off. If the musicians tortured their parents and wives with their creativity, then why not torture the prisoners with them.
• "Alcoholic" was once the motto of the lead singer of Metallica. By his own admission, the musician, at some point he enjoyed noisy concerts and parties after them. At the same time, Hatfield drank heavily and even tried drugs. But at one point he realized that such a life dragged him out and would not lead to anything good. That is why he himself insisted on treatment. Once the musician was asked if he misses the old revelry and fun. Hetfield stated that now his band enjoys music and performances, only more consciously. And alcohol and drugs destroy the mind.
• Throughout the history of his career, Hatfield has changed about a dozen hairstyles. The most terrible was the mullet hairstyle (the hair is shaved on the sides and lengthened at the back), as the lead singer of the Metallica group believes. Photos prove that the musician is not averse to experimenting on himself. But the frequent change of image is a personal whim, and not an attempt to achieve greater popularity.
• The Metallica frontman also has several tattoos on his body. All of them carrya certain meaning. So, for example, four cards engulfed in fire are applied on the left hand as a sign of memory of a well-known accident with pyrotechnics. The numbers on the cards indicate the year of the musician's birth, and the Latin phrase under the picture translates as "seize the day." Or even two letters are stuffed on the back of the hands: M (“Metallica”) and F (Francesca). These are the two loves of his life. On the inside of the right hand of the musician is a large tattoo depicting St. Michael and Satan. As Hatfield admitted, he really likes religious stories, even if we assume that they are fictional. As for his specific composition, the musician explained it simply with the words of a prayer: "…Do not lead us into temptation." There are a total of 16 tattoos on Hatfield's body.



• In 2015, the animated series "American Dads" was released on Fox. The prototype of one of the characters was James Hetfield. In appearance, the cartoon character is exactly copied from the original, but according to the script, he is a water polo coach.
• In the summer of 2016, the lead singer of Metallica defended his thesis! This news shocked many celebrity fans. A talented person, as it turned out, is also talented in science. For the past 12 years, the musician has been studying hard at the California Institute of Technology, but did not advertise it. His dissertation on black holes is based on an analysis of the work of Dr. Misty Benz (2007). Specifically, Hatfield highlighted the problem of the influence of gravity on the Hubble telescope and several technological issues. Rocker's dissertation was a success and influencedtheir scientific field.

P. S

What is the name of the lead singer of Metallica? This question has not caused difficulties for fans of "heavy" music and not only for a long time. A cult band with a cult frontman simply could not remain without public attention. James Hetfield, apparently, is a multifaceted person with an unusual fate and outlook. Perhaps it is these individuals who change and move this world forward. And perhaps, without such a leader, there would be no musical legend called Metallica, which still continues to live and amaze.