King Diamond was a major influence on Metallica with his work in Mercyful Fate , a relationship that blossomed into an iconic friendship spanning decades, with some encounters on stage.
One of their earliest encounters was unearthed by Revolver . During a King Diamonds concert in San Francisco in August 1986, Lars Ulrich , Kirk Hammett , and James Hetfield took to the stage, introduced as "old and good friends." Without musical instruments, they were there simply to celebrate the birthday of the Metallica vocalist, who had turned 23 earlier that month.
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The trio were visibly emotional as they took to the stage to sing "Happy Birthday" to their colleague. The special guests remained on stage during the following song, "No Presents for Christmas," sung in tribute to Hetfield. "No presents for James," Diamond joked. Watch below.
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