Table of Biography
American musician James Hetfield is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and chief songwriter of the heavy metal group Metallica. James Hetfield is famous for his intricate rhythm playing, but sometimes performs lead guitar duties and solos, both live and in the studio.
Early Life
James Hetfield was born in Downey, California, the United States on August 3, 1963. His birth name is James Alan Hetfield. He is 60 years old under the zodiac sign Leo. James holds American nationality and follows the Christian religion.
Regarding his family background, he is the son of Virgil Hetfield (Father) and Cynthia Hetfield (Mother). His mother sang light opera, while his father drove a truck.
From his mother’s first marriage, he has two elder half-brothers and a younger sister. He moved in with his older half-brother, David, after his mother passed away.
Caption: James Hetfield with his family source: Pinterest
Education
Speaking of his educational background, James Hetfield graduated from Brea Olinda High School in 1981 and spent his freshman and sophomore years at Downey High School.
Career
Talking about his career, James found a secret ad posted by drummer Lars Ulrich in a Los Angeles local newspaper, ‘The Recycler.’ In 1981, they together formed ‘Metallica,’ a heavy metal band. The Guitarist Dave Mustaine and Bassist Cliff Burton also joined them.
Mustaine’s erratic behavior and drinking caused some issues during the initial years, so in 1983, he replaced him with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. The band emigrated from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Their first album, ‘Kill ‘Em All’ released in 1983 reflected British metal styles of the early 1980s. Their next album was ‘Ride the Lightning,’ which included social and political themes while the third album, ‘Master of Puppets,’ released in 1985 was regarded as a masterpiece by the critics.
Moreover, ‘Metallica’s’ next album ‘…..And Justice for All, their first music video released in 1988 included the track ‘One,’ and was well-received on MTV. The album made it to number 6 on the ‘Billboard 200.’
Caption: James Hetfield singing a song Metallica Through the Never source: BBC.
With singles, including ‘Sad, But True,’ ‘Enter Sandman,’ and ‘The Unforgiven,’ their next album ‘Metallica,’ produced by Bob Rock sold over 15 million copies and made number 1 on ‘Billboard 200.’
The two albums that followed were “Load” (1996) and “Reload” (1997). The song “The Memory Remains” from the album “Reload” is a prime example of Hetfield’s skill as a songwriter. The albums “S & M” (1999) and “St. Anger” came after them (2003).
More about his career
In the meanwhile, there were tensions inside the band, particularly between Hetfield and Ulrich, the band’s two obstinate co-founders. Hetfield and Jason Newsted also had disagreements, which led to angry outbursts and drinking binges.
Hetfield so checked himself into rehab for his drinking problems in 2002 and took a 7-month break from the band. The open-access film “Some Kind of Monster,” which examined the relationships between the band members and the creation of the album “St. Anger,” was released in 2004.
In 2001, the band hired Robert Trujillo, a bassist from Ozzy Osbourne’s band, after Jason Newsted left. The album “Death Magnetic,” which was released on September 12, 2008, continued the success of “Metallica’s” earlier releases and peaked at number one on the Billboard charts.
In 2013, the group released “Metallica: Through the Never” and its soundtrack. Hardwired…… To Self-Destruct, their tenth studio album was released in November 2016.
Achievements
Speaking of his awards and achievements, The group has garnered five Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, and nine Grammy Awards. On April 4, 2009, Hetfield and other band members were admitted into the “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.” 2018 saw the group receive the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf’s “Polar Music Prize.”
James Hetfield – Net Worth 2024
James Hetfield has earned a huge amount of money through his hard work and brilliance. His estimated net worth is around $300 million by 2024.
Personal Life
Regarding her love life, James is currently married to Francesca Tomasi, who hails from Argentina. She worked as the band’s costume designer. The pair tied the wedding knot On August 17, 1997. They reside in Vail, Colorado, and were blessed with three children Cali Tee (born in June 1998), Castor Virgil (born in May 2000), and Marcella Francesca (born in January 2002).
Caption: James Hetfield with her wife Francesca Tomasi source: Digihunt.
Body Measurements
James is handsome, undoubtedly. He has a perfect height of about 6 feet (185 cm) and weighs about 104 kg (229 lbs). In addition, James has a blue pair of eyes and blonde hair color.
James Hetfield – Social Media
Regarding his social media presence, James is active on his Instagram account @james.hetfield with 403K followers. Moreover, James also has 1,237 followers on Twitter and 521K followers on Facebook.