James Hetfield has been the voice of Metallica since the band's founding in 1981, when drummer Lars Ulrich announced in the newspaper that he was looking for a guitarist.
Over the past 40 years, the thrash metal band has become the biggest commercial success in heavy music thanks to Hetfield's powerful vocals, guitar playing, and songwriting. Born on August 3, 1963, the musician is one of the great icons of metal and deserves to be celebrated.
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