James Hetfield

James Alan Hetfield is an American musician, singer and songwriter known for being the cofounder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield is mainly known for his intricate rhythm playing, but occasionally performs lead guitar duties and some solos, both live and in the studio. Hetfield cofounded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler. Metallica has won nine Grammy Awards and released nine studio albums, three live albums, four extended plays andsingles.

James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, California, the son of Cynthia Bassett , a light opera singer, and Virgil Lee Hetfield, a truck driver. He is of German, English, Irish and Scottish descent. He has two older halfbrothers from his mothers first marriage and one younger sister. His parents divorced in 1976 when Hetfield was 13. Virgil and Cynthia were very strict Christian Scientists, and in accordance with their beliefs, Hetfields parents strongly disapproved of medicine or any other medical treatment and remained loyal to their faith, even as Cynthia was dying from cancer. This upbringing became the inspiration for many of Hetfields lyrics during his career with Metallica, most notably in the song The God That Failed from their eponymous 1991 album, Metallica. Cynthia Hetfield died of cancer in 1979 when James wasyears old. After the death of his mother, Hetfield went to live with his older halfbrother David. Virgil died in late 1996, during Metallicas Loa

Source: Wikipedia