James Hatfield is the legendary American vocalist, one of the founders and the unchanging leader of the famous band Metallica. The nickname "King of Metal" was firmly entrenched in him. Hatfield takes pride of place on the list of the greatest guitarists in the world.
Biography: early years
James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963 in the California town of Downey, which is 20 km from Los Angeles. He grew up in an average American family: his father was a bus driver, and his mother sang in a local opera and, at the same time, was in the Christian Science sect, which promotes miraculous healing from diseases through faith. In early childhood, James was heavily religiously influenced by his mother.
At 9, he became interested in music. At first it was playing the piano and percussion instruments, and then Hatfield mastered the guitar. Soon the parents divorced. James moved with his mother to a neighboring city.
When he turned 13 years old, his father passed away. By this time, James was completely withdrawn. Three years later, the mother was given a disappointing diagnosis of cancer. She perceived any traditional treatment with hostility. In fact, the mother was dying in front of the 16-year-old James. After her death, he found the meaning of life in the guitar. Later, he will write several compositions about the death of his mother, including Mama Said, The God That Failed.
Career
Before creating his own group, James was a member of several small groups that did not have much popularity. In 1981, Hatfield met Danish drummer Lars Ulrich. In the same year they founded the Metallica group. The guys then did not imagine that later it would be recognized as the most successfully touring in the world.
Initially, James decided to concentrate only on vocals, but then he successfully combined singing and playing rhythm guitar parts. He is often called the voice of Metallica.
In the 80s, the team literally "tore" the halls and stadiums. At the same time, James began to strongly attach to the bottle. He allowed himself to perform drunk in front of an audience. During concerts, he was repeatedly injured and fell into scandalous situations. Soon, alcoholism of James became chronic. He repeatedly attended rehabilitation courses. Because of the love of alcohol, the team broke concerts many times.
On the account of "Mealliki" ten albums. The last one was released in the fall of 2016 and is called Hardwired To Self-Destruct. The group has received prestigious awards several times, including the coveted for many Grammy musicians.
