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04:35 Wednesday, 12 February 2025
James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett reflected on their favorite Cliff Burton moments in a Planet Rock interview last year, shared on what would have been Burton’s birthday.
Memories Of Cliff Burton
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Hetfield recalled Burton’s love for fishing and his unusual habit of carrying a hammer in his suitcase. “He loved fishing and hammers. He would take his little pocket fisherman on tour and find any little lake and he carried a hammer in his suitcase. It’s like, ‘What are you doing with that?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know, just in case.’ Just in case you need a hammer.”
Hammett then shared a funny memory about Burton’s eating habits. “Or whenever he had a plate full of food he’d walk differently. He’d walk with a sense of urgency. I would just crack up, because it was just so weird to me.”
While Hammett laughed, Hetfield was visibly emotional. “Yeah, he was quite a character. Very himself. He was unapologetically Cliff. And we miss him to this day,” Hetfield added.
Burton’s Lasting Influence
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On The Metallica Report podcast last September, Hetfield said Burton still influences his music. He often wonders if Burton would approve of a riff or song he’s working on.
“Absolutely. Cliff still lives in all of us. The way he lives in me is I get to channel, you know, ‘Cliff, what would be really cool right here?’ And I do — I do hold him in such high regard that I ask for his help still. And I challenge myself, ‘Would Cliff like this?’ That, to me, is a pretty high standard. We already have high standards for ourselves, but you know, if I could impress Cliff, it was a good day,” the singer said.
Burton would have turned 63 on February 10 this year.
