I think the greatest definition you could ever give of a hero is this; someone who by his or her actions has changed someone else's life for the better. The idea that someone who is not fully recognized as a hero, yet is such to so many people is what forms the backbone of my belief. Not many people think of a front-man of a heavy-metal act as a hero but to so many James Hetfield is so. Being the front-man of Metallica, James has reached many millions of people, selling over onehundred million records in nearly every country in the world. With this talent and success comes great pride but also responsibility. James understands this and has on many occasions been the example for many teens that it's okay not to engage in the activities of most youth. Through Metallica James has helped redirect my life and give it new direction.
With that in mind I would like to tell you exactly how he influenced me. Through his talent as a songwriter as well as the ability to sing and play the guitar with outstanding ability he made his entrance into my life. Two years before I was born, in 1982 James along with friend now drummer Lars Ulrich formed Metallica and started a recording career that has lasted nearly 20 years. It wasn"t until their seventh album that I became interested. It was the difference in the music that caught my ear while still being loud and heavy they also had a great gift for writing melodies and vocals that caught my ear, and didn"t just make them bleed. When I first heard the power and emotion that James could focus through his guitar I said "I want to do that." Within a year I had my first guitar and knew many songs. It was this love of playing the guitar which kept me away from my friends who, at that time where starting to get into drugs. I believe that without James songwriting influence I would have fallen in the same rut that the rest of my friends had.
As my love for playing the guitar has increased so has my interest in Metallica.