James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3rd, 1963 in Downey, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He began his interest in music after his mother died, as a comfort and escape from an unhappy reality. After moving in with his brother-in-law in Brea (and going to Brea Olinda High School), James met a group of young men who shared an interest in music. They formed a garage band called Obsession, which did covers of Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath. His next project was Leather Charm, for which he was a vocalist. The band also featured a bassist named Ron McGovney. This band would write the song that would give Metallica its start - "Hit The Lights." James was approached by a young Dane named Lars Ulrich, who finally convinced him to start another band. They recorded a rough impromptu version of "Hit the Lights" for Brian Slagel, who put it on his first Metal Massacre compelation album. The rest, is history! Some of Jaymz' favourite activities include: hunting, fishing, and smoking Cuban cigars. He is currently living in Novato, California.

(To go to where I got this bio from, click here.)