Cliff Burton

He was also ranked 25th on Rolling Stone's list of the 50 greatest bass players of all time.

Burton was born in Castro Valley, California, to Raymond "Ray" (1925–2020) and Janette "Jan" Burton (1925–1993).

He had two elder siblings, Scott (1958–1975) and Connie.

Burton's interest in music began when his father introduced him to classical music and began taking piano lessons.

In his teenage years, Burton developed an interest in rock, classical, country and eventually heavy metal.

He began playing the bass at age 13, after the death of his brother, who died from a brain aneurysm.

His parents quoted him as saying, "I'm going to be the best bassist for my brother."

He practiced up to six hours per day (even after he joined Metallica).

Along with classical and jazz, Burton's other early influences varied from Southern rock and country to the blues.

Burton cited Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, Stanley Clarke, Lemmy Kilmister, and Phil Lynott as major influences on his style of bass playing.

While still a student at Castro Valley High School, Burton formed his first band called EZ-Street.

The band took its name from a Bay Area topless bar.

Other members of EZ-Street included future Faith No More members Jim Martin and Mike Bordin.

Burton and Martin continued their musical collaboration after becoming students at Chabot College in Hayward, California.

Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an American musician who was the bassist for thrash metal band Metallica from 1982 until his death in 1986.

Their second band, Agents of Misfortune, entered the Hayward Area Recreation Department's Battle of the Bands contest in 1981.

Their audition was recorded on video and features some of the earliest footage of Burton's playing style.

The video also shows Burton playing parts of what would soon be two Metallica songs: his signature bass solo, "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth", and the chromatic intro to "For Whom the Bell Tolls".

Burton joined his first professional band, Trauma, in 1982.

He recorded the track "Such a Shame" with the band on the second Metal Massacre compilation.

In 1982, Trauma traveled to Los Angeles to perform at the Whisky a Go Go.

Among those in attendance were James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, both members of Metallica, which had formed the previous year.

Upon hearing, as Hetfield described it, "this amazing shredding" (parts of which later became "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth"), the two went in search of what they thought was an amazing guitar player.

When they learned that what they had heard was a bass solo by Burton, they decided to recruit him for their own band.

They asked him to replace departed bassist Ron McGovney, and since Burton thought that Trauma was "starting to get a little commercial", he agreed.

The idea of having to move to Los Angeles did not sit well with Burton, who said he would join only if the band relocated from Los Angeles to his native San Francisco Bay Area.

Metallica, eager to have Burton in the band, left their origin of Los Angeles to make a home in El Cerrito, a town located across the bay from San Francisco.

Burton's first recording with Metallica was the Megaforce demo.

A demo tape the band had made prior to Burton's joining, No Life 'til Leather, managed to come into the hands of Jon Zazula, owner of Megaforce Records.

The band relocated to Old Bridge, New Jersey, and quickly secured a recording contract with Zazula's label.

Their debut album, Kill 'Em All, features Burton's showcase, "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth", which displayed his use of effect pedals, such as a wah-wah pedal and Electro Harmonix Big Muff, which are ‍not commonly used by ‍bassists.

Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All, was originally intended to inherit the name of one of their earlier demo releases (predating Burton's participation), which was Metal Up Your Ass, but the record company did not like the title and insisted on changing it.

Burton said "We should just kill 'em all, man," which gave the band members an idea for the new title.

He performed on the band's first three albums, Kill 'Em All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), and Master of Puppets (1986).

The album was released on July 25, 1983, through Megaforce Records.

The band's second studio album, Ride the Lightning, showcased the band's rapidly evolving musical growth.

While touring in 1986 to support Master of Puppets, Burton died following a bus crash in Sweden.

Burton also received a posthumous writing credit on ...And Justice for All (1988) for the song "To Live Is to Die".

He was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica in 2009.

Renowned for his musicianship and influence, he placed ninth in a 2011 reader poll from Rolling Stone recognizing the greatest bassists of all time.