James Hetfield

James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3rd, 1963 in Downey, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He began his interest in music after his mother died, as a comfort and escape from an unhappy reality. After moving in with his brother-in-law in La Brea, James met a group of young men who shared an interest in music. They formed a garage band called Obsession, which did covers of Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. His next project was Leather Charm, for which he was a vocalist. The band also featured a bassist named Ron McGovney. This band would write the song that would give Metallica its start - "Hit The Lights." James was approached by a young Dane named Lars Ulrich, who finally convinced him to start another band. They recorded a rough impromptu version of "Hit the Lights" for Brian Slagel, who put it on his first Metal Massacre compelation album. The rest, is history! Some of Jaymz' favourite activities include: hunting, fishing, and smoking Cuban cigars. He is currently living in Novato, California.

As all long time fans know, Jayms is also amazingly accident-prone. Here is a list of only a few of his injuries:

• 40 stitches on his head from an ATV accident.
• Compound fracture of both bones in his left forearm requiring two metal plates, screws and 85 stitches.
• Broke left wrist while skateboarding during Ozzie tour
• Severe burns (2nd degree) on face, left arm and hand from pyro accident during the Roam tour - required skin grafts.

Other info:
Height: 6' 1"
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
James was married on Aug 17, 1997 and now he has a new born daughter.