Happy birthday, James Hetfield! The rocker is celebrating his birthday today! In honor of the special occasion, let's take a look at the musician's personal life, age, net worth, and more!
Born James Alan Hetfield on August 3, 1963, the Metallica co-founder is now 60 years old! It appears that the guitarist had been exposed to music at an early age as his mother, Cynthia Bassett, was a light opera singer.
Unfortunately, his mom died of cancer in 1980 as his family was strict Christian Scientists, meaning they don't believe in medicine or any medical treatment.
This incident in his life influenced some of the songs released by Metallica throughout their career.
His love for music started at the age of nine as he began attending piano lessons, he later learned how to play his older half-brother's drums.
Finally, he started playing the guitar, which is his main instrument up to this very date, when he was 14 years old. At the time, he played with Robert Okner.
Throughout his teenage years, he was able to join some of the bands around his area, and his love for music continued to strengthen thanks to his inspiration, Aerosmith.
James Hetfield in Metallica + Net Worth 2023
In 1981, Metallica was welcomed to the world. It all began when drummer and founder Lars Ulrich placed an advertisement in a newspaper that looked for musicians who wanted to jam with him and Tygers.
The band was ultimately formed. It was only Hetfield, Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo at the time.
READ ALSO: Metallica James Hetfield's AI Voice on Seal's Song Cover Leaves Fans Speechless [LISTEN HERE]
Since Metallica became widely known in the world for their massive hits such as "For Whom The Bell Tolls," "Nothing Else Matters," "Enter Sandman," "Whiskey in the Jar," and many more, Hetfield has undeniably earned big money throughout his career.
According to Wealthy Gorilla, the rocker's estimated net worth as of 2023 is a whopping $300 million.
James Hetfield in Rehab
Earlier this year, James Hetfield spoke with the official Metallica fanzine where he opened up about his 2019 rehab journey.
At the time, it was not his first time entering the facility and it was during the time when the pandemic started. (via Consequence)
"The feelings of 2020, early spring of 2020... for me, there was a rebirth again, realizing my life was needing some help," he said.
He added that when he went to rehab, he had to stop his responsibilities with Metallica because of mental health reasons and he had to prioritize himself first.
"Even though I just want to keep running and let the band just keep going and run away from problems. I needed to deal with stuff," he added.
READ MORE: 5 Music Acts You Didn't Know Collaborated With Lady Gaga: Metallica, Rolling Stones, and More!
