James Alan Hetfield

lead singer, and guitar (www.htzfm.com)

The curtains drop, the crowd roars to life. Lights from the rafter’s blaze down as the music comes to life. Lead singer James Hetfield’s low, growling, and angst filled voice booms out over the massive speakers. Now in his 28th year in the band Metallica he is still kicking hard as ever. Through major alcoholism on tour and many other tragedies on tour, he still kept going.

Playing thee music (www.freewebs.com)

James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963 in Downey, Los Angeles County, California. James father, Virgil C. who later leaves the family and his mother Cynthia were very devout and strict adherents to Christian Science. Accordingly much of James’s young life revolved around it. Hetfields’s parents strongly disapproved medicine of any kind. They remained faithful even when his mother was dying of cancer. Songs dedicated to his mother were “ The leper messiah” and “The god that failed”. Her death and his turbulent relationship with religion have both been focal points in their lyrics.

a picture of when he was younger (www.imageshack.com)

Hetfield was 9 when he started taking piano lessons, and then moved to drums, then finally to guitar. Forming in 1981, the band Metallica is now on the 8th major studio album “death magnetic” now in 2009. Suffering many onstage accidents like in 1992 he accidentally stepped in the path of pyrotechnics during a live show giving him 2nd and 3rd degree burns. Though he was back on stage in 17 days. He has also broken his arm many times on tour while skate boarding. During a concert while supporting the “black” album he blew out his voice box, but then was back on stage next week. In 2002-2003 he admitted himself into rehab for several months for a major alcoholism case. He donates to many charities like music for the children foundation, A.D.C’s, and other smaller charities.

Kicking his alcohol and anger management is a great task while being on tour as the biggest American metal band in the world. In a lot of ways he has made me want to change and be a better person. Like how there’s parties everyday and he still avoids alcohol at them. That would take great self-control, like he uses for his anger management. He has kicked both of those things because his life is more important than those things.

I believe in the end there is a lot to learn from him. Like how being successful doesn’t mean you have to be addicted to drugs, or alcohol. Also you can learn from how you can overcome problems to see the better things in life. Then you can achieve your goals and live your life, anybody can do it and I know I’m going to. So in the end you just have to learn not to give up and say so what?