Alan James Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main composer, singer and leader of the American metal band Metallica heavy. Metallica Hetfield co-founded in October 1981 after answering an advertisement directed by drummer Lars Ulrich in the newspaper the Los Angeles Recycler, looking for members. Since then, Metallica has won nine Grammy Awards and nine studio albums, three live albums, four extended pieces, 24 singles. In 2009, Hetfield was ranked number 8 in the book of Joel McIver's 100 leading metal guitarists, and ranks twenty-fourth to walk on their Hit list of 100 greatest metal singers of all time.
Hetfield was born August 3, 1963. It is of German descent, English, Irish and Scottish. He has two older brothers half of his first marriage of his mother and a younger sister. He attended New Year and second-year Downey High School.
His father, Virgil, was a truck driver who left the family when Hetfield was young. The mother, Cynthia, was a singer of light opera. The two divorced in 1976. Virgil and Cynthia were very strict Christian Scientists, and according to their beliefs, Hetfield parents, unequivocally condemned any medication or other medical treatment and remained true to their faith, even Cynthia died of cancer. This education was the inspiration for many words Hetfield later in his career with Metallica, as songs like "The God That Failed."
Cynthia Hetfield died of cancer in 1979, when James was 16. After the death of his mother, Hetfield went to live with half-brother, David. Virgil died in late 1996, during his tour to support Metallica.
Hetfield was nine years old when he began piano lessons first, then he got on the drums by his brother, David, and finally, at the age of fourteen he began playing guitar with Robert Okner. He was also a few groups in adolescence - a fascination skin and the other, Obsession.
Hetfield identifies Aerosmith were the main musical influence as a child, and said that was why he wanted to play guitar. He, too, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC / DC, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent and Deep Purple as major influences.
In the early days of the band, Metallica experimented with some different voices and combinations of guitar, essentially creating an organization similar to Diamond Head. Some of the options considered included adding another guitar player, with streets John plays guitar and asking John Bush from Armored Saint (who later joined Anthrax) to sing for the band. The finalized line-up of the band was Hetfield (vocals and guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), Dave Mustaine (lead guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass), who was replaced by Cliff Burton soon.
From 1982 to 1983, his alcoholism, has provoked intense altercations between him and Mustaine Hetfield. Mustaine also once poured beer into Ron McGovney low close causing severe damage. On 1 April 1983, the group recruited guitarist Kirk Hammett from the band Exodus and 10 days later, Hetfield and Ulrich ejected Mustaine due to formally alcoholic tendencies. Mustaine was sent home in four days by bus, and continued to form the heavy metal band Megadeth. Later, Metallica Mustaine would be offered to wonder why not send him to rehab.
