Talk:James Hetfield

Republican
I removed a sentence under "Personal Life" section that states he is a registered republican. I followed the link which led to a database of Colorado voters but when inserting James Hetfield in the search box only dead people came up. Unless there is a reliable link, I think that his political status is unknown. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Elmerfadd (talk • contribs) 16:10, 13 June 2019 (UTC)

Christian
I removed a sentence that said he became A Christian in 2005. The reference was a broken link from Geocities (which is not a reliable source). If anybody has a credible source for this, please, add it back, but wishful thinking doesn't make things true.

James Hetfeild is a Catholic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.177.146.244 (talk) 00:39, 14 February 2011 (UTC)

Hetfield
hetfield can play a mean guitar even if its rythm most the time. So im gonna add guitarist to his ocupation section. if you disagree just delete it. --76.113.62.128 (talk) 21:24, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

Citations Needed
We are in need of some cleanup on the page so add refs as you find them. On a related note I am deleting the following "Hetfield, and the rest of Metallica, along with their new bassist, Robert Trujillo have addressed their many issues[citation needed], and are continuing to make music." and changing it to read, "Hetfield and Metallica addressed their need for a new bassist by recruiting Robert Trujillo. The new lineup has continued to make music and tour worldwide." The reason for the change is to eliminate the need for the citation needed tag. Any objections to this please respond here and feel free to change what I wrote on the page itself. --Volbeatfan (talk) 15:44, 2 March 2010 (UTC)

The Beatles?
Where and when does he mention The Beatles as an influence? He usually mentions Aerosmith. Droog 23:18, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I think he's stated that he hates The Beatles. I remember reading a quote from him in some sort of tribute to Black Sabbath were he said he hated the Peace, Love, and Beatles of the 1960's and how great Sabbath was.  MrMurph101 05:39, 20 August 2006 (UTC)

There was a Guitar World that had a double interview with JH and Tony Iommi that was very good. TI said he loved the Black Album (the issue was maybe in '92) and obviously James was gushing over TI. Anyway, in establishing Black Sabbath's influence on him, he contrasted his view of Sab with that which he "hated": hippies, Love, Jethro Tull, and the Beatles. I remember in the article Love was capitalized, so the writer might have understood JH as referring to the folk/rock band rather than hippie philosophy, although they're a bit obscure for JH to choose to pick on... not liking Tull I figured stemmed from the ridiculous Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental debacle (Tull won over And Justice...) in '89, although since Tull have some classic heavy riffs like aqualung and locomotive breath, and since Iommi had briefly been in Tull, I thought they were the wrong band to contrast with Sabbath. Anyway, James is on record saying he hates the Beatles. I'm not gonna edit, since I don't have the issue number handy to write an accurate footnote at the moment. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.164.147.147 (talk) 20:31, 24 April 2008 (UTC)
 * No, he never said he hated the Beatles. He said he hated the peace and the love of the '60s, not the Beatles.

His myspace states "Catholic" which is inspired by his wife, a devote Cathloic, if you ask him he will tell you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.130.61.85 (talk) 14:31, 22 December 2009 (UTC)
 * He named "Yesterday" by The Beatles in his top ten songs of all time, he doesn't hate them. If anything he is inspired or influence, read what he said! --Volbeatfan (talk) 01:36, 25 February 2010 (UTC)
 * He could still hate the Beatles even if he likes some of their music. But yes, that would imply that regardless of his feelings he was somewhat influenced by their music.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.54.94.118 (talk) 06:27, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

Gibson Les Paul?
According to Metallica's website he doesn't have a Gibson. —Preceding unsigned comment added by VanguardofDestruction (talk • contribs) 01:58, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Broke His Voice?
The article says he broke his voice on their cover of "So What?", but it's rather unclear as to what "broke" means. Is this the reason he doesn't sing the way he did before the Black Album? Cronos12390 11:51, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
 * No, it's temporary... --Andysoft 16:42, 12 September 2007 (UTC)


 * i believe he blew his voice right around the end of For Whom The Bell Tolls from the album. If you listen real close you can kind of hear him strugling.--Vandalism destroyer 08:55, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

I saw documentary where they said that after breaking his voice everyone though he wouldn't be able to sing professionally anymore, but that he was convinced to see some fancy vocal coach. It would explain the different style of singing. think the documentary is on the S&M-live dvd for those who want to check on it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.170.200.139 (talk) 13:34, 26 November 2008 (UTC)

"So What" does not appear on "Metallica"
And "So What?" is not even on the "Metallica" [Black] album. "So What" is a B-Side/One-Off that appears on the "Garage Inc." album. --QAWXPbC64 05:23, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

"So What" was a bonus track on the Japanese pressing of the "Metallica". 71.174.94.2 23:03, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Dave the Barbarian
Where does that info come from? I can't find any evidence supporting that.--72.16.114.224 00:48, 27 April 2007 (UTC)

Dude, watch the episode "Here There Be Dragons", it says in the credits. What, the credits (which was made by the people who actually made the show) isn't a "reliable source"? --Blaguymonkey (talk) 02:59, 4 February 2011 (UTC)

Plagiarism
I was looking through here, sourcing the statements, and I noticed that the second half of the article, beginning with "He was 9 years old when he first took piano lessons," most of the information has been copied and pasted from http://www.netglimse.com/celebs/pages/james_hetfield/index.shtml ,without permission, I presume. I'll work on rewriting this when I have a chance, but I thought I'd alert those who notice this to that, in case they want to undertake this task.

Ziing 19:20, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Not about mom
Dyer's Eve is not about James' mother. The God That Failed is. Someone should change that.

How could it not be at least partially about his mom? the opening lyrics to every verse is "dear mother, dear father"... Sort of makes you think doesn't it?

That doesn't mean its about his mother.

Good call... I stand corrected.

Guitar Information Section
"James is a major endorsee of ESP and has been since 1991, best known for playing custom-made Explorer style guitars with an EMG 81/60 set for pickups. Arguably the one person who made the model famous. His popularization of the model could easily be considered a big catalyst in Gibson's decision to sue ESP over loss of profits (Gibson made the model in the later 1950's and has allowed other companies to build replicas...until they make substantial money off of it). He also collects guitars made in 1963, the year of his birth. James' main guitar from the early days, his Flying V, was an Epiphone, and he used this low-end guitar almost exclusively until it broke in the mid 1980's."


 * I'd really like some independent verification on the information about Gibson suing other companies essentially when they turn a profit from making models of their own guitars. None of this information is explained adequately here; nothing, in fact, is even hyperlinked. Furthermore, the actual article on Gibson guitars mentions nothing at all of any of this. I edited a bit until someone can provide a little more detail, or a proper link. Aside from that, cleaned up the article a bit, as far as grammar goes. I've heard most of the information in the whole of this article before, so I'm confident about it, but this section looks dodgy. --Pathogen 08:53, 29 September 2005 (UTC)

Did he really "scare" other guitarists with his sound?

Tell us his wife's Maiden Name
Otherwise it looks like a wild coincidence.

Middle Name
I could have sworn that James' middle name was Virgil, like his dads. But I may be wrong. From: Middle of the country 7:25 FEB. 27, 2006


 * Nope, Virgil is his dad's first name. James' middle name is Alan. Droog 23:18, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

As far as I know, James & Francesca gave one of their boys the second name Virgil. But I have no quote for that, I read it on the Metallica-message board. (Warper)

Atheist?
His MySpace listed himself as a Catholic, in the film St.Anger you can see hes crosses and beeds in his car. He is a Catholic.

The article says that he has had a "subsequently turbulent relationship with religion". No statement is made about his beliefs though. Is he atheist? -- -ramz- ask?  23:03, 16 April 2006 (CET)


 * I don't think that he's necessarily an atheist. It's possible that he could be though.  However, all I know is that his "turbulent relationship with religion" was due to his mother refusing medical attention because of her religious science beliefs.  She ended up dying a slow, painful death because of this (I believe of cancer).  This traumatized Hetfield and led to him penning the song "The God that Failed".

I tend to understand that he has some sort of Christian faith. The obvious is the tattoo on his chest that is of a large crucifix. Unfortunately, it is hard to determine exactly how one person views such an ambiguous topic such as religion without asking.

He's not atheist ,he's from scientific christian family and his mother died of cancer MetalCro 00:13, 16 April 2007 (UTC)
 * This guy up here must be some sadistic little creep,a "slow painful death".Why did you feel it was necessary to describe her death with such intense words.I feel for james,but it sounds like you're a,let's just say a "smm".

It's never been said, or at least I've never heard any direct mention of his beliefs. Intense words are necessary to describe what effect it would have had on James faith to see his mother die in such a way. How is it sadistic to describe someone's death? He isn't saying it was a good thing.But I don't know that leaving the Christian science faith means he left Christianity. I personally think he's a Christian of some sort, but he isn't a Christian science follower anymore. Cronos12390 11:45, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

God that failed is not about hetfields mother.
The song God that failed is about growing up in a world that is revolved around the religion that he grew up with. He was able to play sports because that would involve a physical which is James' religion is wrong!

As true as the above statement is, still most of the reason why Hetfield distrusts that religion is because of his mothers hardship. As well as that, he was also ousted from many cliques of children while growing up because of the circumstances surrounding his religion. i.e. physical exemptions for football, or exemptions from health class. However, no matter what any particular song is about, Hetfield has used music to help him cope, and in his passion for making music has allowed many some very strong coping help.

James himself has declared that this song was about his mother.

Also rubbish^ It is about his mothers death, as described in interviews available on YouTube. James is a Catholic

James political
Does anyone know James Hetfields Political status? Like is he Independant republican or democrat?

Its hard to pinpoint the political status of Hetfield, likewise for the band as a whole. In 1991, the year "The Black Album" was released, the U.S. liberated Kuwait in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Some viewed the song "Don't Tread on Me" as a "pro-troops" or "pro-war" anthem. This has never been confirmed by the members of Metallica. However in the song "Where the Wild Things Are" from ReLoad, some lyrics insinuate bridging the gap between the troops and childrens toys. "Hand puppets storm the beach, firetrucks trapped out of reach. All clowns reinforce the rear, slingshots fire into the air. Stuffed bears hold the hill 'till death, crossfire from marionettes. We shall never surrender." This suggests the exact opposite from "Don't Tread on Me." While this information may not clear up the political status, it proves one very republican point, and one very democratic one.

Well considering the whole master of puppets is anit-war, he sounds more like a pacifist.

Also two things: he likes to hunt (characteristic of right-wingers). And Also the song "One" may say something about it... I think he can't really be labeled.

That is great information, and I think its best not to label The Hetfield.

I'm just wondering... the song "Master of Puppets" is about a cocaine addiction, where in the world could anyone get the inferrence that the "whole master of puppets" is anti-war, when that song in particular (amongst others--the thing that should not be, leper messiah, sanitarium, just to name a few of them on that album alone)are not even about war in the first place... it may be better not to call him a pacifist, or pro-war... just let Hetfield be Hetfield


 * One was based off of the book [Johnny Got His Gun]], a strong anti-war novel. However, remember the times they wrote that song in. This was back in the 1980s, heavy rock about death and warfare was hardcore and badass (it still is, IMO). It was part of the Metallica image. (USMA2010 22:24, 17 October 2006 (UTC))


 * I would say he's closest to being a libertarian. The "...And Justice For All" album is the most political of their albums.  A lot of it is about government corruption and abuses of power.  MrMurph101 21:51, 18 October 2006 (UTC)

I think I remember a playboy interview where he said he wouldn't vote Democrat because quote "I don't want anyone to take my guns away". I can't speak for his political beliefs, but I think that he is pro-death penalty, anti-gun control, and apparently anti-war given how his lyrics portray war. Cronos12390 11:48, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

During an interview on Live Earth James stated he dislikes both Democrats and Republicans because of them being politicians '[...] and politicians only get in the way'. Of course this is only the very recent news. --Dharion 20:30, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure that in the official Metallica magzine "So What!?" James said that he tends to lean more to the left. i've got the issue somewhere in my room. It might also be in the book "So What!?" which basicaly just takes the highlights of the magazine. if i find it I'll get back to you. 71.174.94.2 22:58, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Well fans tell the story of buying a KKK knife from a Neo-Nazi in the early 1990s, he also made racist remarks on the Video/DVD Live Sh**t and also (along with other suspected Neo-Nazi Jason Newsted) gave Nazi salutes during Am I Evil performances during the late 80s early 90s. So theres a hint. His cars sport lots of Iron Crosses, he has been seen wearing an SS helmet whilst riding his bikes and has an Iron Cross guitar. Not a positive reflection on his politics. yes because repulicans= Neo-Nazi — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.72.167.119 (talk) 16:19, 1 December 2012 (UTC)

I think we can safely say all of the above paragraph is bs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.158.52.110 (talk) 13:31, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

I think he's apolitical, I remember him saying "fuck politics, I can't stand them" in an interview at a concert in london just recently (P.S.: I think the whole "neo-nazi" crap is a load of insane bs, I mean that is just stupid.

I know this is Waaay old, but ride th lightning doesn't exactly exude a pro death penalty vibe. And anyone who has ever listened to AJFA ver should know that he seems to have a great dislike for he justice system an the way justice is bought in America. It's a very left wing vibe.

But who knows, I think he's completely changed since AJFA. 79.64.234.155 (talk) 03:33, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

I heard the "KKK" story before, and yeah he does make a racist joke on the Live Shit Binge and Purge DVD, that states "we got a load of sleeping n****** out there, you guys arent sleepin' n***** are you? Come on lets wake those.... n******* up,man I would hate to be a n****** right now... listen dont say n********** alright?" he was clearly drunk and this upset Kirk. Its on YouTube too, check it out before calling people"bs".

Umm, the n****** word that he uses here (at least in my version) is "neighbours" ;-) Noonand (talk) 12:52, 7 January 2011 (UTC)

James Hetfeild is a libertarian. He's not a democrat nor a republican - he hates big government and sees it as the cause of most wars. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.177.146.244 (talk) 00:32, 14 February 2011 (UTC)

11 Months in Rehab!!?
I have changed the 11months in Rehab to 9 months. If you watch the MTV Icon - Metallica program, they tell you that after "9" months of Rehab james came back, and bla bla ...

somebody edit this!
There is quite a bit of abuse on this article about James using his penis to perform homosexual acts of other members of his band and fans etc. Admin needs to lock this article and edit it out... Didn't know how else to bring this to attention. Thanks


 * Hi, the defamatory content was vandalism by 216.20.52.2. I've already reverted the article to a previous revision. --KFP (talk | contribs) 14:19, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Someone has also defaced the beginning of the personal life section.

About his turbulent relationship with religion
What religion were his parents and why did their religion teach not to take medical treatment? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.136.57.119 (talk) 01:06, 13 March 2007 (UTC).


 * The write-up seems to equate Christian Scientists and Christians. This really should be corrected. Most main-stream Christian denominations believe in seeking medical help for an illness, believing that God works through the doctors to make people well. Most Christians believe God gave us a brain to use, including going to medical school or becoming a musician or a professional athlete. If anyone wonders about all this it doesn't take much research to find that the two beliefs have few common points. Jimpatnmatt (talk) 00:33, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

Children?
Does Hetfield have any children? I read the whole article and it says nothing about it. If there is please tell me or write that in the article. Thanks. Pro Game Master87 09:34, 22 April 2007 (UTC)
 * Look at the official site--Andysoft 07:18, 4 August 2007 (UTC)

James HETFIELD Technics
I am a guitar beginner and,like every Metallica fan, wanted to learn from James HETFIELD. Wathing him playing in concerts, i wonder how he can change from clean to distorsion sounds by only tuning his guitar. But, on the internet, it's written, in some fans websites that he uses pedals to do that. Can anyone confirm me his use of one of the two technics above ? Thank you. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bartez999 (talk • contribs) 01:57, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Are you nuts?! 172.142.152.191 (talk) 13:26, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

you really are a begginner, he either uses a pedal or a channel switch to switch from clean to dirty, but this is hardly be classified under his own technique being than 100% of guitarists do it the same ways. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.238.33.106 (talk) 21:57, 5 August 2008 (UTC)

They're metallica, They have guitar techs that switch it... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 142.177.225.157 (talk) 23:02, 12 December 2008 (UTC)

Personal life
The section Personal Life in the article has the following info that confuses me: He put his 1967 Chevrolet Camaro up for sale on eBay, with the proceeds going to a Music for Schools program. The car was used in the video for "I Disappear" and was given to him as a gift upon the video's completion. Years later, James donated the car to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. It says he put the car on Ebay with the proceeds going to a charity. I assume because there are proceeds that the car was sold. The last sentence states he donated the car. How could he donate it if he sold it for charity? --Rockfang (talk) 02:37, 14 December 2007 (UTC)


 * Perhaps maybe he was given a second after the video was shot, which he then donated? I'm not sure. ArdClose (talk) 13:36, 24 December 2007

He could not have. The sentence refers to it as "the car", wich means that its the same one. 69.18.107.48 (talk) 06:56, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Residing
The personal life section says he resides in Novato, then goes on to say he resides in Belvedere. Which is it? ArdClose (talk) 13:35, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

Picture
Could someone please replace the picture of James Hetfield with a more recent photo if there is such a photo. Thank you. 69.18.107.48 (talk) 06:58, 16 February 2008 (UTC)
 * What are you on about? It looks pretty recent to me. Even if it's not, the picture is fine.--Jeff79 (talk) 08:58, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

Well, in your opinion it is, but its been there for months and its always good to keep it current. 69.18.107.85 (talk) 06:34, 19 February 2008 (UTC) i wish they had an older one because he looks so lame and bad with short hair. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.225.25.37 (talk) 23:26, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree, an additional older photo would give context to the article. Hamsterlopithecus (talk) 03:41, 21 March 2016 (UTC)

Hairdo
Maybe we need a timeline of hairdo and beard. :-) David.Monniaux (talk) 18:32, 18 March 2008 (UTC)

I'd support that! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.158.52.110 (talk) 13:33, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

Haha I'd support that too —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.209.246.225 (talk) 22:52, 31 July 2009 (UTC)

Flying v
i have seen many places that the white flying v ho owns is a cheep copy he bought for about 200$ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.199.144.18 (talk) 19:43, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

Copied Content
I just wanted to point out that many sentences (and sometimes entire paragraphs) seem to be copy/pasted directly from the James Hetfield bio on metallica.com. i.e. - He was 9 years old when he first took piano lessons before taking on brother David's drums and finally picking up a guitar in his pre-teens. (from http://www.metallica.com/Band/james.asp). The interests section also looks like it's been cut and pasted with only a few minor changes Bookbaby2004 (talk) 10:09, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Dear James Hetfield —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.116.251.82 (talk) 02:38, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

NOT in his pre-teens...it was when he was 14 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.152.243.15 (talk) 13:55, 26 September 2008 (UTC)

james does play a les pual and he hates poiltics
James can be seen in the movie some kinda monster playing a les paul and also in one of the fly on the walls video on misson metallica he is playing one. In 2000 he did an interview with playboy magizine james said he does not like voting because his vote means nothing also voting in the city and he hates going to the city. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Thewilltodeath576 (talk • contribs) 15:48, 16 July 2008 (UTC)

Singer's metal fence has heavy impact in Marin
By Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer, Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Aug-18-2008 21:38 PDT Marin County -- James Hetfield co-founded the influential heavy metal band Metallica and, as its chief songwriter, helped pen and perform strident songs such as "Don't Tread on Me." It might as well be his anthem for property rights in Marin County.

The Marin County resident has erected a barbed-wire fence on his property near San Rafael, cutting off a fire trail that locals say has been used for at least a half-century to access treasured hiking trails along scenic ridgelines.

Hetfield's representatives have told county officials that the metal and barbed-wire fence is a response to vandalism on the property. Nonetheless, the decision has infuriated the bikers, hikers and equestrians who use the trail. Some locals say it also threatens a century-old county tradition of property owners giving public access to open space.

"This is really a slap in the face to the community," said Connie Berto, 75, who has been using the trail since the 1960s. "It's atrocious. The fence is outrageous."

Link to SFGate.com article – Conrad T. Pino (talk) 15:09, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

The Simpsons
Hi, James and the rest of Metallica were also in a recent episode of The Simpsons. I thought you might want to add this to the Guest appearances section. 82.73.195.228 (talk) 20:51, 23 September 2008 (UTC)

Infobox
James plays several instruments and someone continues to vandalize the infobox by deleting all of the additions that have been made. The instrument box is for all of the instruments the musician plays, not just what hes known for. Hetfield has played Piano since he was 9. He has played guitar since his preteens. Same with the drums. He played bass for the original recording of Hit the Lights for the Metal Massacre demo. He played the electric sitar for the intro to Wherever I May Roam (See A Year and a Half in The Life of Metallica). Stop reverting the additions —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kgardner1123 (talk • contribs) 00:01, 15 October 2008 (UTC)
 * The instruments that he's dabbled with can go in the body text. I believe the infobox is to show readers at a glance what this person is famous for. And James Hetfield is famous for being the singer/guitarist for Metallica as the opening paragraph will state. He is NOT famous for playing drums a few times in the 80s for Spastik Children (which is lucky to even have its own article). Everybody knows this to be true, why try to convey anything else?--Jeff79 (talk) 03:41, 15 October 2008 (UTC)

Protection
Can someone Semi-protect this page. An anonymous user (IP address 216.48.130.17) is Vandalizing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Orbitt (talk • contribs) 14:36, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

Pluck the day?
I am not a native English speaker, but the translation of "Carpe Diem" as "Pluck the day" (concerning James' tattoo) sounds really funny to me. I always thought it translates to "Seize the day". But I might be wrong. (btw, in Dutch (my mother tongue), it does translate to "Pluk de dag", which is why it sounds so funny to me). Alterationx10 (talk) 14:08, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I agree with you and so apparently does Wikipedia (Carpe Diem). I went ahead and changed it to "sieze the day".  Fenrisulfr  talk  14:19, 14 April 2009 (UTC)

Baritone?
Is he really a baritone? I always thought his voice type was a tenor. Is there any citation for this? Asarelah (talk) 03:33, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Caleb
Metallica Rocks  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.131.238.103 (talk) 20:57, 15 July 2009 (UTC)

List of guitars/effects used on each album
AFAIR there was a comprehensive list of each album along with the guitars, effects, pedals and amplifiers used on each album in this article. Where has this gone to? Should it be reverted if it can be pulled out of the history or was it deemed unreliable? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Noonand (talk • contribs) 16:56, 18 November 2009 (UTC)

Cleaning Up
The article had this line:

"During a concert on tour for the Black Album, James screwed his voice up singing "So What", forcing him to take vocal lessons for the first time"

I have changed this ever so slightly so it sounds a little more professional in content MeteorHawk

Drums?
James Hetfield is not known for playing drums, so why is it even in the infobox? Outside of Spastik Children (an underground rock project that noone has ever heard of) Hetfield never played drums on anything professionally. All I could find of him playing drums is a Youtube video of him screwing around on them for a couple seconds. It even says in the musical influences section that he abandoned drums at a very young age to take on guitar. For a musician of his caliber, playing drums a few years as a child is not worth noting. I could see keeping in piano, because he played that in songs like Unforgiven 3, but why fill the infobox with misleading information?Asterix 13 (talk) 15:55, 20 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Seeing as he has played drums live multiple times, I'd say it should stay. [] [] [] --204.96.148.75 (talk) 01:34, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Iron Cross?
Just wondering why currently his ESP Iron Cross Links to his ESP Truckster. --204.96.148.75 (talk) 01:36, 1 May 2010 (UTC)

Lead
Hmm? 30 year career... 100 million albums sold... next to Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi he's probably the most important figure in the history of heavy metal music. I think the page deserves more than just a single sentence for a lead. Any thoughts on how to flesh it out? Quotes, quotes and more quotes always help a little. The Jimmy Page article is a good example for that. Wiki libs (talk) 17:16, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica. Along with his almost 30 years of career in music and his unique style of writing, playing and singing he has become "a defining voice of his rock'n'roll generation", a heavy metal icon who's songs will definitely reshape the lives of many more generations to come.

(All hail the mighy James Hetfield!) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.84.72.147 (talk) 18:38, 14 July 2010 (UTC)

Leather Charm
Hi all, I just wonder why there is no name of Leather Charm in James' associated acts. Someone please explain it for me, otherwise I will add it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nima1024 (talk • contribs) 20:12, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

Metallica section
There are about 3 or 4 paragraphs in this section that read as a synopsis for Some Kind Of Monster rather than a description of Hetfield's life during this period. It mostly just needs to be re-written. On another note is there no record anywhere or income/wealth/career earnings?Kansaikiwi (talk) 21:25, 6 October 2010 (UTC)

Hetfield's ranking in the "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists" book?
I've noticed some changes to this over the last couple of months, and I personally have reverted it twice. I started thinking when I realized this, and now unsure. As is, it says he was 16th, and that is from a cited source (which contains Dave Mustaine's [he was ranked #1, which is why it was an interview with him] reactions on the book in an interview in which he infers that Hetfield was 16th), however, I have found some places that say Hetfield was ranked 8th. Now I don't have the book myself, so I can't verify it, but if anyone reading this does have the book (or has access to it), I encourage you to double check, and/or change the rank and citation if necessary.--L1A1 FAL (talk) 02:55, 29 March 2011 (UTC)
 * this source: lists Hetfield as being in the top 10 (not specifying which position), and therefore conflicts with the current cited source.--L1A1 FAL (talk) 03:00, 30 March 2011 (UTC)

Notable Instruments??
I agree that ESP truckster and Ken lawrence explorer might be notable but shouldn't his esp explorer,Iron Cross and gibson flying V be added to notable instruments section?? He is actually seen with flying Vs and esp explorers more often than ken lawrence exp.Knightrider abhi (talk) 05:23, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

Gibson Iron Cross???
There is a mistake in this article......James doesn't play a gibson iron cross. The guitar is made by ESP.Itz a customised ESP Eclipse guitar and not a gibson Les Paul....think this should be added.--122.169.4.58 (talk) 07:29, 24 July 2011 (UTC)

Beyond Magenetic
Someone needs to add that to the discography. --141.156.191.192 (talk) 23:43, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

#87 in Rolling Stone magazine's top 100 guitarists of all time.
I think the fact that James Hetfield is ranked # 87 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 best (Rock 'n' Roll) guitarists is at least as worthy of note than any award he got from Hit Parader magazine. RS is (arguably)the gold standard when it comes to rock journalism.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-guitarists-20111123/james-hetfield-19691231 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.111.245.249 (talk) 13:58, 19 September 2012 (UTC)

The article states that he sold his car from the "I Disappear" video...then donated it to Hard Rock Cafe years later.
The article states that he sold his car from the "I Disappear" video...then donated it to Hard Rock Cafe years later. You can't typically donate something you don't own anymore, so this makes no sense. The unverified sources I looked up to figure this conflict out say that he was given the car, owned it for a few years, allowed it to be displayed at Hard Rock Cafe (but not "donated it" to them or they would now own it), then auctioned it on Ebay to raise money for the school music charity. The original buyer was unable to pay, and a new buyer bought the car and it is now on display at the Henry Ford Museum. The article should be edited for clarity.

Age correction
Can sombody please correct his age? This dude is celebrating his 50th birthday today.

Happy birthday and all the best!

91.2.126.167 (talk) 11:13, 3 August 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on 9 October 2013
The picture disappeared

174.62.157.183 (talk) 02:18, 9 October 2013 (UTC)


 * The photo from 2009 was simply replaced with one from 2012. RudolfRed (talk) 02:50, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

Sorry, I wasn't clear. His picture isn't showing up on Facebook anymore. It just shows a music note. https://www.facebook.com/pages/James-Hetfield/108470735847586 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 174.62.157.183 (talk) 11:34, 9 October 2013 (UTC)

Death of Mother year is innacurate
Cynthia Died 19th Feb 1980 94.14.165.160 (talk) 19:53, 5 January 2014 (UTC)

Onstage Accident reference
Reference number ten in the article (http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?ID=2529&src=blender_ed) is dead. We probably need another reference for this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.169.104.182 (talk) 20:04, 22 January 2014 (UTC)

Automobiles
He likes custom cars. heres his latest:, with Rick Dore. This should be in article. ps im not connected to Mr Dore, so this is not promotional.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 07:53, 18 March 2014 (UTC)

James Hetfield used a 7-string
He was noticed with a 7-string LTD H207 in Some Kind of Monster film. Here it is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=546KjKMB9kw — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nanogon 265 (talk • contribs) 10:24, 3 January 2015 (UTC)

Some family history...surname originally "Hatfield"....
His father: Virgil Greeley Hetfield, bn. 1925 Nebraska. Virgil lived for a time in Denver, CO. before enlisting in 1944 and served in WWII. Settles in Los Angeles (Compton, Downey).

His Mother: Cynthia Bassett Nourse, CA. Married Ted Raymond Hale in 1948 and had two children before marriage to Virgil, in 1961. From California.

His grandfather: Simeon Clifford Hatfield, bn La Port, IN, 1896. Married 8 Nov 1924 (Marriage Place: Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie, Iowa), to Violet F. Munson. Lived in Omaha, Nebraska. Worked at Epsen Lithgraphing Co. (Stock controller). Dies Proviso Township, Cook CO. Il. 1946.

His (paternal) grandmother: Violet F. Hatfield, neé Munson.

His great-grandfather: Charles Nash Hatfield, bn 1854 La Porte, La Porte, Indiana. Dies 1930. Married Lillie L. Brown (bn 1871, Indiana, father: Simon Decatur Brown).

His great-great-grandfather: Stewart H. Hatfield, bn. 1827 Logan, Ohio. Married Mary Elvira Nash in 1850 (bn 1829, Rolling Prairie, La Porte, IA., father Vincent Carpenter Nash bn 1791, Virginia. Mother Catherine Magness born North Carolina).

Ancestry
Why not remove "table" from "Occupations" before locking the article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2602:306:CCDE:8C50:5FF:EEE6:C4DE:440A (talk) 17:10, 20 May 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 8 June 2015
Category:American agnostics

LivesOfFilth (talk) 23:17, 8 June 2015 (UTC)
 * Do you have a source in which Hetfield states he is agnostic? Stickee (talk) 23:46, 8 June 2015 (UTC)

Assessment comment
Substituted at 19:25, 29 April 2016 (UTC)

James is not a table
In the description that shows up under him when you search "James Hetfield," it says he is a table. This is a meme, and though it is funny, it should probably be removed. I am on mobile, if that changes anything. Neon cabbage (talk) 01:52, 24 July 2016 (UTC)


 * It's funny though :( 2001:8003:3F5B:2E00:ECCB:2142:4A6D:9AB5 (talk) 22:11, 28 November 2022 (UTC)

Bear hunting, Glastonbury Festival, and the NRA
I deleted a mention of Hetfield's NRA membership because it was cited to IMDB, a famously unreliable source. I deleted the Category:National Rifle Association people because mere membership in a group with millions of members isn't significant. However I did run across this article: "NRA member James Hetfield under fire; activists want Metallica’s big game hunter out of festival". If someone wants to add material about that controversy they're welcome to it. Felsic2 (talk) 21:03, 14 August 2016 (UTC)
 * Well done, agree.  Mlpearc  ( open channel ) 21:07, 14 August 2016 (UTC)

Excessive detail in Personal life section
I recently removed a bunch of material from the personal life section. As this was contested, now is the time for discussion. Alright, so he enjoys certain hobbies. Importance? What's next, are we also going mention his favorite foods too? And okay, the first single he bought was Sweet Home Alabama. So? Who cares, other than fans I guess? Why is this information relevant enough to be included on his Wikipedia article? Yes, most of it was sourced, but you would think WP:TRIVIA, WP:NOTDIARY applies. Just seems excessive and unnecessary to me. Sro23 (talk) 23:17, 18 December 2016 (UTC)
 * I might agree that certain hobbies may be too excessive, but childrens' name and birth date is for example to be found to Bob Dylan.--Simen113 (talk) 23:33, 18 December 2016 (UTC)
 * I'm a little confused. Does that mean you agree with me? Sro23 (talk) 02:50, 21 December 2016 (UTC)
 * Yes and no. I believe there exists a middleground between deleting all you deleted, and keeping all. --Simen113 (talk) 00:33, 23 December 2016 (UTC)

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External links modified
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Semi-protected edit request on 3 December 2017
include a table with the name of the albums and sales just like brian Johnson has instead of just listing metallica's discography Loued11 (talk) 21:56, 3 December 2017 (UTC)
 * ❌. We do that a lot with veteran musicians because lists, even if they're not massive, can add just a little bit too much text to articles that are already pretty long. Johnson's article with the AC/DC and Geordie list is still shorter and more manageable than Hetfield's without the Metallica list. (I also think Johnson's article contains those lists because he has notable music outside of his main band and Hetfield doesn't.)  City O f  Silver  00:45, 4 December 2017 (UTC)

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Australia/NZ tour cancelled - back in rehab
https://abc11.com/entertainment/metallica-delays-tour-as-lead-singer-re-enters-rehab/5574459/

Featured picture candidate on Commons
-- Editor-1 (talk) 05:50, 3 March 2020 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 16:22, 18 May 2020 (UTC)
 * James hetfied 1984.jpg

Misfits guest appearance in 2000
"On November 17, 2000, James Hetfield was at a Misfits concert accompanied by his body guard at Maritime Hall in San Francisco, where he eventually got up on the stage and sang "Last Caress", then "Die, Die My Darling" whilst being accompanied by the band.[43]" The source for this is a 404 and I cannot seem to find any other evidence that Hetfield was involved with that formation of the Misfits. If it really is true then the source needs replacing, and if it isn't a removal is necessary. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 102.69.43.91 (talk) 12:06, 12 August 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 8 April 2021
Under the tv filmography, for the show american dad, it shows him as "water polo coach" but he is also playing himself. In the actual show. 142.161.57.149 (talk) 12:03, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Terasail &#91;✉&#93; 23:49, 8 April 2021 (UTC)
 * added a source that says he plays a water polo coach.. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6866104/metallica-james-hetfield-american-dad-cameo --- FMSky (talk) 00:17, 9 April 2021 (UTC)

Error in the first sentence
"is an American musician who the lead vocalist" - I'd replace "who the" with "and the" or "who is the" but it's locked.
 * Thanks, its corrected now FMSky (talk) 13:19, 10 September 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 15 April 2024
Under the guitars used by Hetfield during the years, the "Note" regarding his 1996 ESP MX250 "Elk Skull" is stating that the "guitar was painted by artist Dino Muradian". This guitar was not painted but pyrographed/woodburned (by hand) by Dino Muradian. Pyrography is not Painting. Thanx. 2603:800C:1200:593A:6D6B:1CF7:DF2B:6E56 (talk) 00:27, 15 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. - FlightTime  ( open channel ) 00:29, 15 April 2024 (UTC)