Heavy metal head, James Hetfield has spoken highly of the powerful impact in which music has had on his life. In a pre-recorded video broadcast during an online benefit for the Little Kids Rock organisation, the Metallica frontman admitted; “music has saved my life daily”.
The Little Kids Rock organisation is a group committed to bringing both musical instruments, and a musical education, to over one million children in the US. As a long-time supporter of the initiative, Hetfield can be seen jamming with school kids in the video and being quizzed on his own formative experiences with music.
Speaking in the video, Hetfield revealed, “I’m here as an example of how music has saved lives. It has been a passion of mine since the early, early times. Music has been an outlet for me, it has been a connection, it has been a best friend for me for my whole life”.
The Little Kids Rock annual benefit has convened many musical supporters who have spoken or performed at past events, Billie Joe Armstrong, Alice Cooper, Elvis Costello, Warren Haynes, Joan Jett, Vance Joy, David Letterman, Kenny Loggins, Steve Miller, Bonnie Raitt, Smokey Robinson, Paul Shaffer, Bruce Springsteen, and many others.
Hetfield is a big admirer of the organisation that gives so many schoolchildren across the US a chance to be educated musically. The rocker said, “Having an option for music, music at schools, I’m an advocate for having an opportunity and a place for people to at least explore that,” said a passionate Hetfield. “And if they find it helpful, that’s great. And it could turn out to be a wonderful career”.
The annual benefit celebrates the transformational power of music education and was presented by Hot Topic Foundation. The event featured musical performances, an online auction, speeches, and testimonials, to celebrate the organization’s mission. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the organisation was forced into livestreaming the evening, with music artist T-Boz of TLC and DJ Skee of Dash Radio emceeing the event.
Hetfield has spoken on numerous occasions in the past about music’s capacity to elevate, empower and connect. During a 2018 interview with 100.3 The X Rocks, the guitarist said his “viewpoint of the world is totally off kilter, it’s defective, and then when someone comes up to you and says, ‘What you’ve written down or what you’ve created has helped me’ that’s more of a connection”.
“You haven’t spoken any words – you’ve just felt what that person is feeling, even though it might be different. Everyone loves it when someone tells their story,” said Hetfield. “Someone’s saying, ‘That guy is singing to me’ or ‘That song is about me’.”
Hetfield’s band, Metallica are currently at work on the follow-up to their 2016 album, Hardwired… to Self Destruct. The band have also been collaborating with Sir Elton John. For additional information or to learn more about Little Kids Rock, please visit http://www.littlekidsrock.org.
