The musical group Metallica has officially existed since 1981. Already from the 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.
Band history
In October 1981, the American publication The Recycler announced the creation of a rock band. Its authors were musicians James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Soon the composition was formed. It remains the case for his name. At the same time, a magazine was opened in Los Angeles about British and American heavy metal bands. Among the trial names was Metallica. It was it that was borrowed by the young team.
Throughout the existence of a musical group, its composition periodically changed. This was due to the voluntary departure of the musicians (Ron McGowney) or their death (Cliff Burton). Only the founders of the musical group remain permanent - Metallica soloist 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 difficult to assume that out of such an obedient and calm boy would grow up a spoiled lead singer of Metallica. 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 was called Virgil. He worked as a bus driver, left his 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 Christian science Mary Baker Eddie. Their beliefs denied any interference with medicine in human life. Since any disease in this theory has a spiritual nature, then healing must take place on a spiritual level. This conviction was so strong that even before his death, James's mother did not back down from him.
Under the influence of such views, young Hatfield had to leave the lessons where they talked about medicine and its achievements. The situation went so far that peers began to whisper behind James, and he moved away from them.
Tragic events and the theme of religion later became the main themes of the musician's work. The lead singer of Metallica James Hetfield devoted more than a dozen songs to them. Among them: Mama said, The God that failed, Until it sleeps.
Creation
Despite his religious childhood, James began to play 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 he made an informed choice in favor of the guitar.
Metallica is the only serious project that Hatfield has been pursuing for years. Prior to this, he created amateur groups Obsession and Phantom Lord, which rehearsed famous hits of such rock bands as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. During the existence of his second group, James moved to La Brea and attended Brea Allinda School. After finishing it, he returned to his native Downey, and the group broke up.
In his hometown, the musician settled in the house of a friend of Ron McGowney, who was then demolished. He was perfect for a creative studio. There the guys rehearsed diligently, honing their guitar skills. Later they were joined by musicians from the previous collective, in which the future lead singer of Metallica played. Photos in his youth, unfortunately, did not preserve the memory of this period. However, the group was formed and was named Leather Charm. She was more successful. The guys wrote their own songs and even performed at several concerts. However, the constant departure and replacement of the musicians eventually ruined the group.
Perhaps the most important and turning point in the life of James can be considered an acquaintance with drummer Lars Ulrich.
The success of their duet is understandable to many. Both musicians are deeply devoted to music and from the very beginning 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 memorable vocals. And journalists note his special manner of interacting with the public and the peculiarity of holding his pick with three fingers.
Personal life
James Hatfield can be called an exemplary family man. In 1997, he married the charming Francesca Tomasi, with whom he is still together. The spouses have three children: daughters Kayle and Marcella and son Castor.
James has had 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 bring up worthy people. Despite the fact that he was not a vivid positive example, his children received a good education. It is known that Castor and Kylie try themselves in the movies.
In honor of his family, Hatfield got a tattoo in the form of a luminous cross and hands folded in prayer. The tattoo is complemented by the impaled names of his children.
Voice problems
In 1991 and 2003, Hatfield had problems with her vocal chords. Both cases were associated with the characteristics of the compositions during recording. For the first time, the lead singer of Metallica lost his voice when he was recording another album (The Black Album). Due to the injury, the fellow musicians at the concerts needed to rebuild their guitars literally half a ton lower. However, this song did not lose its original sound.
In 2003, Hatfield faced the challenge of recording St. Anger at a low setting (Dropped C). Moreover, 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 the vocal cords. Of course, gradually the voice returned to the musician. This is especially noticeable when comparing new live recordings with audio from 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 relentless creative search, experiments take a lot of energy, keep in suspense. Therefore, musicians begin to look for a source for relaxation and recharging. The history of world music knows many such examples.
The problems of alcohol addiction were not avoided by the lead singer of Metallica James Hetfield. True, in his case everything went well. During intense recording of the same St. Anger in 2003, the musician volunteered for rehabilitation from alcoholism. The course lasted 11 months. At this time, James managed to combine treatment with recording an album. After the rehabilitation, he immediately stepped on the red carpet to receive the MTV Icon of the Year award.
Accidents
In addition to the music created and performed by the lead singer of the Metallica group, his name was also famous for frequent accidents. So, for example, during a 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 concerts. At that time, he was accompanying Metallica on tour.
In 1987, the case of a skateboard repeated. Then, for this reason, the group had to cancel the recording of the next album and several shows in the upcoming Monsters of Rock'87 tour. Of course, such accidents seriously cost the entire Metallica team, so a special clause was added to Hatfield’s contract: “No skateboards.”
However, the most serious and well-known accident that the lead singer of Metallica survived (photo saved in the musician’s archive) was pyrotechnic burns during a concert in 1992. Then the group performed together with Guns'n'Roses at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. During the performance of the next composition, James Hetfield went to the pyrotechnic equipment. A high column of fire (about four meters in height) 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 scene. 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 playing and playing guitar for a while. In his place was again invited rhythm guitarist from Metal Church band John Marshall.
Guitars Collection
What is the name of the lead singer of Metallica, perhaps today is known to very many. 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 music brands: Gibson Les Paul, ESP, Gretch. The real rarity in the collection is the 1952 Fender Telecaster electronic guitar . According to Hatfield himself, his favorite is the Jackson King V gift guitar marked Kill Bon Jovi.
There are only two acoustic models in the collection.
Achievements
The name of the lead singer of Metallica has steadily occupied leading positions in all musical ratings for three decades. The group suddenly broke into world music and literally from the first notes won the hearts of millions of listeners. Of course, such a dizzying success could not stay away 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 of successful albums and compositions, and awards for the best metal videos. 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 best performer. Also in 2009, Metallica was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Interesting Facts
Despite the reputation of a cheeky guy and a noisy party-goer, the lead singer of Metallica is a very versatile person.
This is evidenced by a number of interesting facts:
- In his free time, James Hetfield is engaged in hunting, is fond of art design, rides on a skateboard, water skiing and snowboarding. He has a garage, which he equipped as a workshop.
- Also, the musician is a sports fan. He watches Oakland Raiders and the San Jose Sharks hockey club. Hatfield's other hobbies are hot rod racing (American cars accelerating to the highest possible speed).
- James is not a narcissistic musician. He respects and sympathizes with many rock bands. Among them: Black Sabbath, Motorhead and NickCave.
- In the music, Hatfield positions himself 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 was unlikely to last so long and was successful at the same time.
- In 2000, Metallica released a video for the song I Disappear. In it, every musician played a role. The least “dangerous” was played by lead singer of Metallica James Hetfield. Photos and videos of him on the luxurious Chevrolet Camaro (1968) were appreciated by millions of fans. Popularity was spurred by the charity story associated with the car. After filming the video, he was presented to the frontman of the group. However, he, in turn, put up a Chevrolet on eBay for sale. Hatfield donated the proceeds to support the music school program.
- It is known that the music of Metallica was used to torture those arrested in one of the American prisons. Upon learning of this fact, Hatfield joked. If musicians tormented their parents and wives with their work, then why not torture prisoners with them.
- “Alcoholic” was once the motto of the lead singer of “Metallica”. By his own admission, at some point he enjoyed noisy concerts and parties after them. At the same time, Hatfield drank pretty much and even tried drugs. But at one point he realized that such a life dragged him on 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 feasts and fun. Hatfield said that now his band enjoys music and performances, only more consciously. And alcohol and drugs destroy the mind.
- In the history of his career, Hatfield has been replaced by about a dozen hairstyles. The most terrible was the hairstyle "mallet" (the hair is shaved on the sides and elongated at the back), the lead singer of the Metallica group believes. Photos prove that the musician is not averse to experimenting with himself. But a frequent change of image is a personal whim, but not an attempt to achieve greater popularity.
- On the front of the Metallica frontman there are also several tattoos. All of them carry a certain meaning. So, for example, four cards engulfed in fire on the left hand are inscribed in memory of a famous accident with pyrotechnics. The numbers on the cards indicate the year of birth of the musician, and the Latin phrase under the picture translates as "Catch the day." Or two letters are stuffed on the back of the hands: M (“Metallica”) and F (Francesca). These are two loves of his life. On the inner side of the musician’s right hand is a large tattoo depicting St. Michael and Satan. As Hatfield admitted, he really likes religious stories, even assuming they are fictional. As for his specific composition, the musician explained it simply with words from a prayer: "... Do not lead us into temptation." There are 16 tattoos on Hatfield's body.
- In 2015, Fox drew an animated series called American Dad. The prototype of one of the heroes was James Hetfield. In appearance, the cartoon character is exactly copied from the original, however, according to the script, he is a water polo trainer.
- In the summer of 2016, the lead singer of Metallica defended his thesis! This news hit many celebrity fans. A talented person, as it turned out, is talented in science. The last 12 years, the musician studied hard at the California Institute of Technology, but did not advertise this. His dissertation on black holes is based on an analysis of the work of Dr. Misty Benz (2007). Specifically, Hatfield elucidated the problem of the influence of gravity on the Hubble telescope and several technological issues. Rocker's dissertation was a success and influenced in his scientific field.
PS
What is the name of the lead singer of Metallica? This question has long been not causing difficulties for fans of "heavy" music and not only. The cult collective with the cult frontman simply could not remain without public attention. James Hetfield, apparently, is a multifaceted person with an unusual fate and understanding of the world. Perhaps it is precisely these personalities that 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.