Metallica singer James Hetfield was trending on Twitter on Saturday due to his 56th birthday, and this sadly led to false death rumors. Music video director Joseph Kahn weighed in once he saw the rumor. Kahn has worked with artists including Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Destiny’s Child, Backstreet Boys, and George Michael. Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan recently poked fun at Metallica drama.
Kahn tweeted, “Twitter needs to start putting RIP at the end of trending celebrities who actually died otherwise I keep getting scared everytime some random name comes up (James Hetfield).”
Fans also sent Hetfield well wishes on his birthday. thurisaz17 said on Instagram, “Metallica hate is so passè. It’s easy to forget that they influenced 90% of the shitty fucking bands you like to listen to.”
Today is James Hetfield’s birtday. He wasn’t my biggest influence on guitar, but he was huge nevertheless. He influenced my approach to music more than my technique on guitar. That you can write beautiful melody that’s heavy as shit and smashes faces without compromising the artform. The importance of The Riff, and the secret formula to a catchy hook. So with all that said, happy birthday James!”
Metallica screwing over Jason Newsted was recently called out. hitthalights wrote on Reddit, “Happy Birthday oldie. I know you’re very unlikely to see this but I just would like to show appreciation for his existence. James is one of my guitar heroes, an inspiration to me for writing, an inspiration to want to be better as a guitar player and a singer. In fact, he’s the reason I’m so interested in being a rhythm guitar player vs lead.
I see so much of myself now and what I’ve always been in what he was when he was my age, I guess that’s why I really admire and look up to him, too. I know James isn’t an angel, he’s just as human as anyone else. He’s special for being himself and learning from mistakes. He’s fucking real, amazing, intelligent, talented and caring. I thank him everyday. I hope he’s able to spend this day with his friends and family, and that everything goes good. Feliz cumpleaños, hombre. :)”
https://twitter.com/JosephKahn/status/1157666476205039616
