James Hetfield - Metallica

James Alan Hetfield
Born August 3, 1963 (1963-08-03),
Downey, California
Genre(s) Heavy metal,thrash metal,hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician,songwriter,producer
Instrument(s) Guitar,vocals
Years active 1978–present
Label(s) Warner Bros.,Elektra,Megaforce
Associated acts Metallica,Spastik Children
Website www.metallica.com

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Early life and family
James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, Los Angeles County, California to a family of English, Irish, Scottish, and German descent.

James' father, Virgil (a truck driver who later left the family) and mother, Cynthia (a light opera singer) were devout and strict adherents to Christian Science, and accordingly, much of James' young life revolved around Christian Science.[2]

In accordance with their beliefs, Hetfield's parents strongly disapproved of medicine or any medical treatment and remained loyal to their faith even as Cynthia was dying from cancer.[2]


Musical influences
Cynthia's death and James' subsequently turbulent relationship with religion have both been the focal point of many Metallica lyrics throughout the years - the songs "Mama Said", "Dyers Eve" and "The God That Failed," are about Hetfield's parents, and "Until It Sleeps" is about cancer.[3]

Hetfield was nine years old when he first began piano lessons, after which he took on his brother David's drums and finally, at the age of fourteen, James began to learn to play guitar. [4]

James identifies Aerosmith as having been his main musical influence as a child, and has said that they were the reason why he wanted to play guitar. Other bands such as Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy also had a major influence on his musical tastes.[3]


Pre-Metallica Bands
Hetfield formed his first band, Obsession, when he was in his early teens. The members of Obsession were:

The Veloz brothers on bass and drums,
Jim Arnold on guitar, and
James Hetfield on lead vocals
Obsession spent much time in the Veloz brothers' garage jamming, with Ron McGovney and Dave Marrs acting as roadies. Marrs and McGovney subsequently joined the band itself when the Veloz brothers quit.

After the death of his mother, James moved to Brea, California where he attended Brea Olinda High School and met up with drummer Jim Mulligan. The two jammed during lunch breaks, scaring fellow pupils with their loud and heavy music.

Hetfield's next band Phantom Lord was born with Tanner on guitar, Mulligan on drums, and Hetfield singing and playing guitar. The group went through a few bass players until graduation, when Hetfield moved back to Downey.[1]

Once back in Downey, Hetfield moved into a house owned by McGovney's parents that was slated for demolition due to an expressway expansion.

Hetfield talked McGovney into playing bass guitar, Phantom Lord disbanded, and then the third band under Hetfield's leadership, Leather Charm, was born. Hetfield no longer played guitar, McGovney played bass guitar, while Tanner and Mulligan retained their former Phantom Lord positions.

Leather Charm was largely a hard rock combo which played a few originals along with covers of songs such as Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow". Hetfield would later go on to perform "Remember Tomorrow" with Metallica in 2008.

The band performed at a few parties and recorded a demo, but then began to fall apart.

Tanner left the band, to be replaced by Troy James, then Mulligan left for a more progressive, Rush-like band.

Without a drummer, the rest of the band decided to call it quits. It was Mulligan's departure that led to Hetfield searching for a new drummer. It was through a classified ad in a local newspaper, The Recycler, that Hetfield would meet Lars Ulrich. The two would form Metallica in 1981.

Synyster Gates - Avenged Sevenfold

Synyster Gates



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Background information
Birth name Brian Elwin Haner, Jr.
Also known as Synyster Gates
Born July 7, 1981 (1981-07-07) (age 27)
Huntington Beach, California, United States
Genre(s) Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Avant-Garde Metal
Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter, Guitarist, Pianist
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Organ, Keyboards, Synth
Years active 2000–Present
Label(s) Good Life Recordings, Hopeless Records, Warner Bros. Records, Bucktan Records
Associated acts Avenged Sevenfold, Pinkly Smooth, Good Charlotte, Burn Halo, Ballistico, Sigmund Freund Does His Own Mother

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician. He is currently the lead guitarist for Heavy Metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
Haner went to Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California and also Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California.

Haner attended, but did not graduate from, the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the GIT program, studying jazz guitar. Up until that time he was primarily self taught by watching music videos and reading books, which is surprising because his father was/is a songwriter and guitar player, having played with Frank Zappa during his career. After six or so months of being there, he got a phone call from The Rev (and the rest of the current line up of Avenged Sevenfold) asking him if he wanted to join the band as lead guitarist. Haner joined up with them rather than continuing his education and becoming a studio musician. [1]

Avenged Sevenfold
Brian joined Avenged Sevenfold when he was 18 at the end of 1999, right before the recording of the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. He was featured on their EP, "Warmness on the Soul", and on the reissue of their first album. He also plays piano for the band on songs such as "Beast and the Harlot" and "Sidewinder", though a friend of the band, bassist Justin Meacham, played the piano on Warmness on the Soul.

In the Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, to emphasize the seemingly random placing of names, Brain stated that his name was thought of on a drunken drive through the park with The Rev. His exact words were: "I am Synyster Gates, and I am awesome!"[2]

He has won numerous awards, including the "Young Shredder" award of the year in the Metal Hammer awards in 2006 and the "Guitarist of the Year" Award for Total Guitar Magazine in 2006.