Before becoming an acclaimed guitarist, Joe Satriani spent part of his days as a guitar teacher, and one of his students was none other than Kirk Hammett . In fact, Hammett wasn't just another student among many; he was the last student Satriani had before deciding to pursue his own career as a musician.
In an interview for the YouTube program Life in Six Strings , Joe talked about what Kirk was like as a student. According to the guitarist, Hammett was already in Exodus when he started studying and doubled the number of lessons after joining Metallica .
“He was very motivated; he was a great student. He knew exactly what he wanted and was very hungry. So, it was great. And, in fact, he was my last student; the last lesson I gave in January 1988 was to Kirk, and then the next day I became a solo artist for the first time in my life. So it was cool for both of us,” he says.
Joe Satriani also spoke about the show in Quebec City where he got to play with his former student because he was opening for Metallica. “There’s something special when you reunite with someone you both know where they came from and are amazed to see where they are now. It’s a good thing,” he concluded.
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