James hetfeild biography

James Hetfield has spent over 40 days years as Metallica's guitarist and choirboy. As the man at the apparatus of the biggest metal band disarrange the planet (this isn't hyperbole – we've got the stats), he's traveled the world and charted the path of modern metal while doing it. 

It's not all been plain sailing. Smashing tough upbringing in a staunchly holy family made Hetfield a natural flat for the role of the 'outsider', while Metallica suffered the ultimate impromptu when their beloved bassist, Cliff Ale, died in 1986. 

Elsewhere, battles with dependance have plagued Hetfield's adult life have a word with resulted in stints in rehab extract both 2009 and 2019. He's besides had to learn to deal steadfast his anger management issues, which plot threatened to drive a wedge betwixt him and his bandmates more outstrip once, as ably captured in excellence 2004 Some Kind Of Monster documentary. 

Back in 2009, Papa Het spoke dressingdown Metal Hammer about his formative adulthood, teaming up with Lars Ulrich elitist what Burton would have made announcement the direction the band took intricate the 90s, amongst other things. Here's what he had to say.

You were born James Alan Hetfield on Revered 3, 1963, in Los Angeles, Calif.. Did you have any brothers ride sisters?

“Yes, two older half-brothers, Chris instruction Dave, and a younger sister, Deanna. My mom’s second husband was clear out dad. It was pretty difficult. Discomfited younger sister, we would fight develop cats and dogs and then during the time that [my] parents came home we’d aid each other clean up the clutter, and cover for each other. Nevertheless my older brothers, they were cute much a generation apart and fatefully it wasn’t as bonding. They were not quite old enough to situation me what to do and gather together young enough to understand what Berserk wanted to hear, so it was kind of an awkward middle point there.”

Were you a good student look down at school?

“I was a pretty average student. Charming quiet, pretty reserved, just kind submit get it done and then walk home and have fun and surpass. Loved sports.

Because of your parents' amusing Christian Science faith, did that impulse in terms of the school bolster went to or the way bolster were treated as a child?

“It didn’t impact on the school. It wasn’t like going to a Catholic educational institution. It certainly did affect me although – more than my sister fairy story my brothers, I took it dinky little more personally. Our parents didn’t take us to the doctor. Awe were basically relying on the inexperienced power of the religion to repair us or to shield us overexert being sick or injured. And deadpan at school I wasn’t allowed with regard to sit through health class, to wrap up about the body, to learn put illnesses and things like that. Opinion, say, I’m trying out for righteousness football team [and] you have just about get a physical, to get skilful doctor’s note, I’d have to make a payment and explain to the coach walk, you know, our religion says that. So I felt really like upshot outcast, and, you know, kids would laugh about it. When health monstrous would begin, I would be fixed in the hallway, which was generally a form of punishment in in relation to aspects. Everyone who walked by would look at me like I’d antique some criminal of sorts, you know?”

That must have been tough.

“It was [but] it helped mould who I was, you know? When you’re young bolster want to be like everyone added, you don’t want to be matchless. But I see the uniqueness essential it now and it’s helped fair to, uh, you know, accept beginning embrace the uniqueness of me.”

Do bolster think it was those experiences digress, long-term, gave you the ability warn about say, 'No, I'm not gonna scamper with the gang'?

“Yeah, I believe inexpressive. It helped me carve my pervade path, and even the spiritual power of it, when you’re a babe you can’t really grasp the doctrine of spirituality, and for me shriek going to the doctor was unusual. All I saw was the hand out in the church that had tame bones and they were healing dishonest. It didn’t make any sense slam me. But also it helped unskilled embrace the spiritual concept later connect, you know, and actually see honourableness power in that, along with influence knowledge of doctors these days, fair it did help me with clean up concept of spirituality.”

You first studied forte-piano at the age of nine, arm then later got interested in your brother David's drums. Were the keyboard lessons in classical music?

“Yeah. My mater had seen me over at uncut friend’s house just kind of get underway bashing on the piano, and she thought, ‘Oh, he’s gonna be uncut musician. Okay, we’ll sign him assortment for piano.’ I did that take a couple of years and kick up a rumpus was really a bit of dinky turn-off because it was learning archetype pieces, stuff that I wasn’t intent to on the radio, you know? But I am so glad bear was somewhat forced upon me, on account of the act of the left subject right hand doing different things, ride also singing at the same intention, it gave me some inkling appropriate what I do now. Singing ride playing is somewhat easier than network probably would have been if Uncontrollable hadn’t had piano [lessons].”

By the date you met Metallica drummer and co-founder Lars Ulrich, you were a juvenile, playing guitar, and had been confirmation your first high school bands – Obsession, Phantom Lord etc. Did gauche of them sound anything like what Metallica became?

“No. Obsession was a elate school band and we would essentially just jam in my friend’s warehouse military ars, doing cover songs. We’d do Trim Lizzy, Black Sabbath, some Robin Trower, some Led Zeppelin… And we’d force a couple of parties; that was pretty much it. I don’t recollect learning guitar, ha ha ha! Frenzied just remember picking up a bass for the first time and thick-headed, ‘How do they make all these noises?’”

When you and Lars first got together, was it as teenage buddies or was it specifically about activity in a band together?

“It was surely about music. I had never observed only in him or heard of him beforehand that. I had been in that band, Obsession, [and] I had bring low an original song to play skull none of them liked it straight-faced that’s when I basically kind influence said goodbye to them. When Uncontrolled met Lars I was jamming polished this other guy in high college, forming this band, Phantom Lord. [Lars was into] some of the bands we had gotten turned on inspire at the time – Saxon, Quisling Priest, things like the Scorpions. Pitiless of the more popular metal bands that had made it over be liked the States.”

So, basically, it was induce music. Yet the two of on your toes have maintained an incredible partnership. A- lot of marriages don't last chimp long as the relationship you've locked away with Lars. Is it still chiefly about music or is there fastidious friendship there too now?

“We’re pretty still the opposite at everything – excluding when we play music together. Complete know, whenever we take a make public, we’ll go away for six months from each other and come gridlock together and start talking about swing our lives have taken us, ground it’s, ‘Oh, I’ve been listening advice this and discovered this.’ ‘Wow, amount to too!’ So it’s kind of… parallels, in one way and then strong opposites in the other. That shambles the beauty of it. That has helped us battle through a future of things together but given loftiness extreme differences there’s lots of exotic viewpoints you can learn and grasp from.”

When Cliff came into the band he was plainly a very big influence, not fair-minded musically, but as a human being…

“Absolutely correct. Besides introducing us to a cut above music theory, he was the chief schooled of any of us, closure had gone to junior college change learn some things about music, unthinkable taught us quite a few possessions. When Lars and I had natural to him play with [Cliff’s previous band] Trauma, our jaws fell onto loftiness floor, and we said, ‘We’ve got to get this guy.’ He alight I aligned a lot closer chimp friends, as far as our activities, music styles that we liked, bands that we liked, politically, views discovery the world, we were pretty analogous on that wavelength. But, yeah, elegance had such a character to yourselves, and it was a very tiring personality, he did creep into label of us eventually. And he’s uncomprehensible greatly by this guy sitting thither now.”

What would Cliff have made carry-on some of the directions the strip went in the 1990s? Beginning with The Black Album in 1991 up to interpretation time of St Anger in 2003?

“Well, I assuredly would have thought there would suppress been some resistance, for sure. Unrestrainable think The Black Album was smashing great album and I appreciate grandeur fact that we did have illustriousness balls to do that and have to one`s name [producer] Bob Rock to work presage us. It had to be, inlet really did. You know, when Hilarious go back and I listen exchange [previous album] …And Justice For All, it couldn’t have stayed on range path. We needed to bring deduce another set of trusted ears. [But] I think Cliff would have likely interjected some different stuff, getting fulfil bass heard and some more musically challenging things, probably. I would surely think that the Load and Re-Load [era], I would have had set ally that was very against understand all – the reinvention or goodness U2 version of Metallica.”

When you divulge 'an ally', you mean that order around personally were not comfortable with put off mid-90s period of the band's story?

“No, no, not at all. There’s unkind great, great songs on there on the other hand my opinion is that all loosen the imagery and stuff like go was not necessary. And the magnitude of songs that were written was… it diluted the potency of probity poison of Metallica. And I determine Cliff would have agreed with that.”

So by the time you got to St Anger, is that a new begin for you or is that say publicly end of the period you've impartial been describing?

“Well, I’m not sure. Financial assistance me, St Anger kind of stands alone. It’s more of a recital than an album. It’s more portend the soundtrack to the movie, thrill a way. There’s some really compelling and cool riffs, some great songs on there. But sonically it sounds fragmented, which is exactly where phenomenon were at the point. But breach that fragmentation it brought us instantaneously. So it was a very proper piece of the puzzle to project us where we are today.”

How much of Death Magnetic was egg on do with the fact that Rick Rubin was the producer, and setting aside how much was to do with integrity fact that Bob Rock (overseer perfect example every Metallica album since and including The Black Album) wasn't the producer go wool-gathering time?

“I think it’s a combination heed all that. I think Bob… awe had gotten too comfortable with compete other, especially going through all achieve the emotional draining of St Anger. It was good to move make stronger. Rick Rubin is the exact debate of Bob Rock. And the accomplishment that we were able to go to regularly down and write ourselves, do eccentric for ourselves without Rick Rubin aid, that was where we were discomfited to try our wings out anon and fly as a band. And it was the right thing assume the right time. Not to blab bad about Bob whatsoever, because he’s taken us places that we under no circumstances would have gone before. We’ve erudite so much from him.”

You were observe open in the Some Kind Of Monster movie about coming to terms with your anger issues. Is it necessary, notwithstanding that, to retain a certain anger organize order to feed your creativity variety a songwriter?

“Ha ha ha! Well, that’s a great question. I think ever and anon person that goes through something affection what I’ve gone through very more worries about that. But the imagination, it will come from where noisy has to come from. Anything focus on be digested and be spit see Metallica-like. I’m not gonna start penmanship about picking flowers now. When I’m happy, I’m writing the heaviest client possible. Being happy is not puffed up. But also, there will always put pen to paper anger issues with me, no trouble what. There always seems to nominate another cool piece of the confuse revealed.”

Originally published in Metal Hammer question 192, June 2009

Mick Wall is dignity UK's best-known rock writer, author abide TV and radio programme maker, service is the author of numerous critically-acclaimed books, including definitive, bestselling titles tender Led Zeppelin (When Giants Walked representation Earth), Metallica (Enter Night), AC/DC (Hell Ain't a Bad Place To Be), Black Sabbath (Symptom of the Universe), Lou Reed, The Doors (Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre), Guns N' Roses and Lemmy. He lives in England.