![1980s_(style) 4boys band bandana bass_guitar blonde_hair brown_hair buttercup cliff_burton denim drumsticks electric_guitar facial_hair flying_v guitar heavy_metal instrument james_hetfield jeans kirk_hammet lars_ulrich long_hair metallica multiple_boys mustache oldschool pants parody rickenbacker rickenbacker_4001 shirtless shoes sneakers rating:s score:5 1980s_(style) 4boys band bandana bass_guitar blonde_hair brown_hair buttercup cliff_burton denim drumsticks electric_guitar facial_hair flying_v guitar heavy_metal instrument james_hetfield jeans kirk_hammet lars_ulrich long_hair metallica multiple_boys mustache oldschool pants parody rickenbacker rickenbacker_4001 shirtless shoes sneakers](/cdn_image/preview/39/90/3990892320dbd7be84ffd5b0c23a3d66.jpg)
James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, lead vocalist, and lyricist for the American heavy metal band Metallica.
Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper "The Recycler".
In 2009, Hetfield was ranked number 8 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists, and ranked 24th by Hit Parader on their list of The 100 Greatest Metal Vocalists of All Time.