The name Kirk Hammett is certainly known to fans of heavy music. He gained his first portion of popularity in the Metallica team. Today, the artist not only plays the guitar, but also writes musical works for the group.
To understand the size of Kirk, you should know that he was ranked 11th in the list of the greatest guitarists of all time. He took guitar lessons from Joe Satriani himself. He has an unrealistic amount of cool models of musical instruments in his collection.
Childhood and adolescence Kirk Hammett
The artist's date of birth is November 18, 1962. He was born in colorful San Francisco. It is also known that the artist has an older brother and a younger sister.
In childhood, he had several hobbies - rock music, which he simply “raved about” and horror. According to Kirk, he fell in love with horror films after seeing a horror movie on the TV screen purely by chance. He was serving a sentence in the corner for offending his sister, and the parents did not even know that Kirk was watching with one eye the horror that was happening in the tape.
There is another version of why the artist fell in love with horror so much. True, the musician does not like to voice this version. Rumor has it that the musician's parents in their youth loved to "throw" illegal drugs. During such parties, they sent the children to the cinema, and in the evening, horror films were often played there.
Kirk became so addicted to horror stories that he used all his money to buy comic books with creepy stories. In addition, in the same period of time, he listened to the recordings of Jimi Hendrix, as well as bands UFO и Led Zeppelin. At the same time, Kirk set a goal for himself - to save up for musical equipment. He had to work hard to realize his plan.
The creative path of Kirk Hammett
Kirk's creative path began with the fact that he became the "father" of the Exodus team. By the way, his group often appeared on the same stage with Metallica. When he heard how the guys played concerts, he caught himself thinking that with his guitar, the tracks would sound much better. During this period of time, he takes music lessons from the famous Joe Satriani.
In the 80s, Metallica terminated the contract with musician Dave Mustaine. The band members were not entirely satisfied with the fact that the artist abused drugs and often missed rehearsals.
Kirk was contacted by the Metallica frontman and offered to come to the audition. The musician did not need to be persuaded for a long time. He takes a ticket from California and directs him to the city of his dreams, New York.
Collaboration with Metallica
After the audition, the leader of Metallica included Kirk in the team. From this period of time, the recording of new tracks and albums could not do without an artist. He attended all the concerts of the cult group. In 2009, Kirk and the rest of Metallica were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In the life of a musician there was a place for mysterious events. So in 1986, Metallica musician Cliff Burton died. During this period of time, the group just toured Sweden. The musicians traveled in the bus, it was late, they drank a lot and played wish cards.
Clif, who had won at cards, wanted to take Kirk's bed. It seemed to the artist more convenient. Hammett was unhappy with the loss, but fulfilled his colleague's wish.
The vehicle overturned overnight. All members of the group, except for Clif, survived. Kirk still thinks that he should have been in the place of the deceased.
Kirk Hammett: details of the artist's personal life
The rock musician is definitely popular with the fairer sex. He was married several times. The first wife of the artist was called Rebecca. It was an incredibly passionate and vibrant relationship. The family lasted only three years, but Kirk still remembers Rebecca only in a positive way.
In the late 90s, he married a girl named Lani. The woman gave the artist sons. According to the musician, his personal life is complicated by mental illness. In an interview, he said that he suffers from attention deficit disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Interesting facts about the rock musician
- The artist does not use animal products. For many years now, he has classified himself as a "vegan".
- He is often referred to as "the little musician". His height is a little over 170 cm, and his weight is 72 kg.
- The body of the artist is decorated with many cool tattoos.
- He collects horror films and musical instruments.
- Kirk calls himself an alcoholic and drug addict in the past.
Kirk Hammett: Today
The Royal Ontario Museum hosted the It's Alive! Classic Horror And Sci-Fi Art From The Kirk Hammett Collection. In 2019 and 2020, everyone could get acquainted with relics from the history of horror films in the world. Kirk provided an opportunity for viewers to "feast on" his personal collection.
In 2020, Kirk, however, like the rest of Metallica, was in quarantine. The concert activity of the group was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the musicians presented a new album to fans of their work. Most of the S & M 2 disc was made up of musical works written by artists already in the “zero” and “tenth” years.
On September 10, 2021, the band plans to release the anniversary version of the eponymous LP, also known to the "fans" as the Black Album, on their own Blackened Recordings label.
