LEAD VOCALIST, RHYTHM GUITARIST, CO FOUNDER AND PRIMARY SONGWRITER FOR THE ROCK HALL INDUCTED, GRAMMY WINNING HEAVY METAL BAND METALLICA IS OFFICIALLY 60 YEARS OLD TODAY! BORN ON THIS DATE IN 1963 IN DOWNEY CALIFORNIA  TO A OPERA SINGING MOM AND TRUCK DRIVING DAD…JAMES ALAN HETFIELD BEGAN HIS MUSICAL CAREER WITH PIANO LESSONS AT THE AGE OF 9 AND THEN HIT THE DRUMS BEFORE FINALLY LEARNING THE GUITAR AT THE AGE OF 14. HETFIELD WAS INA FEW BANDS AS A TEEN AND POINTS TO AEROSMITH AS HIS MAIN MUSICAL INFLUENCE…THEY WERE THE REASON HE WANTED TO PLAY THE GUITAR… WE CELEBRATE WITH THE FIRST SINGLE FROM METALLICA’S DEBUT ALBUM KILL EM ALL, THE 1983  ALBUM  WAS CRUCIAL IN THE FORMATION OF THRASH METAL INTRODUCING FAST DRUMS, LOW REGISTER CHORDS AND SHREDDING GUITAR…THE SINGLE CO WRITTEN BY HETFIELD THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF ROCK…”WHIPLASH” HAPPY 60^TH JAMES!