James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett reflected on their favorite Cliff Burton moments in a Planet Rock interview last year, shared on what would have been Burton’s birthday.
Memories Of Cliff Burton
Hetfield recalled Burton’s love for fishing and his unusual habit of carrying a hammer in his suitcase. “He loved fishing and hammers. He would take his little pocket fisherman on tour and find any little lake and he carried a hammer in his suitcase. It’s like, ‘What are you doing with that?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know, just in case.’ Just in case you need a hammer.”
Hammett then shared a funny memory about Burton’s eating habits. “Or whenever he had a plate full of food he’d walk differently. He’d walk with a sense of urgency. I would just crack up, because it was just so weird to me.”
While Hammett laughed, Hetfield was visibly emotional. “Yeah, he was quite a character. Very himself. He was unapologetically Cliff. And we miss him to this day,” Hetfield added.
Burton’s Lasting Influence
On The Metallica Report podcast last September, Hetfield said Burton still influences his music. He often wonders if Burton would approve of a riff or song he’s working on.
“Absolutely. Cliff still lives in all of us. The way he lives in me is I get to channel, you know, ‘Cliff, what would be really cool right here?’ And I do — I do hold him in such high regard that I ask for his help still. And I challenge myself, ‘Would Cliff like this?’ That, to me, is a pretty high standard. We already have high standards for ourselves, but you know, if I could impress Cliff, it was a good day,” the singer said.
Burton would have turned 63 on February 10 this year.
The late great Cliff Burton would've just turned 63.
Here's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett telling us their favourite memories of the @Metallica legend. pic.twitter.com/zPWgGAUeSo
— Planet Rock (@PlanetRockRadio) February 10, 2025
