METALLICA: 23 YEARS AGO CLIFF BURTON PASSED ON..

..And really, METALLICA had one more THRASH metal release left in them.."AND JUSTICE FOR ALL"..I hear METALLICA are playing "The Shortest Straw" live again, as they pulled that song out of the archives. This video of METALLICA being inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME, is very touching and unbelievable, this is cool, I never thought it would happen.. I remember when I was listening to METALLICA back in '85, and '86. knowing this band is going to be special, and I also remembered the day CLIFF BURTON died. I told my family of CLIFF BURTON's death, they had the puzzled look on their face as if to say "Who?". We called up some classic rock stations, whom then wouldn't touch METALLICA with a ten foot poll, METALLICA never got radio airplay back then, they didn't put out a video until "One" (off of AJFA)..WNEW FM (NYC) caved in to hundreds of phone callers, requesting METALLICA, and out of respect to CLIFF BURTON, WNEW FM finally played MASTER OF PUPPETS, and told us to stop calling. I remember that fateful day of CLIFF BURTON's death like it was yesterday.
Of course, METALLICA always get radio and MTV airplay NOW, and are a household name.
So check out this video of METALLICA getting their due as they are inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME..CLIFF BURTON's dad RAY accepted on his behalf, JASON NEWSTED spoke as well.
RIP CLIFF, and I love those those bell bottoms.
FROM CLIFF BURTON TRIBUTE MYSPACE;

Cliff Burton Remembered (From Castro Valley Forum)

CV Rock Musician Cliff Burton
Inducted in R&R Hall of Fame
....
By : Robert Souza : 4/14/09
....

Castro Valley rock legend Cliff Burton was posthumously inducted into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Bay Area band Metallica this
month.



Burton’s father, Ray, accepted his son’s honorary induction during ceremonies in Cleveland, Ohio on April 4.


Cliff Burton, best known as a heavy metal bass player who made
use of distortion and special effects, was killed in an accident in
1986, four years after joining Metallica. It was Burton’s early
influence that helped create Metallica’s unique musical style for which
the band has become famous.
....
Also attending the induction ceremony was San Leandro photographer Rick
Brackett, who knew and photographed Burton in the 1980s when the
musician played in gargage bands across Castro Valley and Hayward
during the early days.


“It felt like an honor to be invited to go,” said Brackett.
“I even postponed a trip to Africa because I couldn’t miss this once
in-a-lifetime opportunity.”


Brackett recalled Burton as a quiet and cheerful musician who
appreciated classical pieces by Bach as much as he loved the songs of
punk pioneers the Misfits.

Burton lived in an apartment with his parents Ray and Jan
Burton on Stanton Ave. and played Little League baseball in town. He
graduated from Castro Valley High in 1980. Six years later, the young
musician died when Metallica’s tour bus skidded off an icy road in
Sweden.


“I was shocked when I found out that Cliff had died,”
Brackett said. “He’s still respected as one of the greatest bass
players of all time and is legendary like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray
Vaughn and Randy Rhoads.”

Sharing the stage with inductees the likes of Run DMC,
Little Anthony and the Imperials, Wanda Jackson, Jeff Beck and Bobby
Womack, Ray Burton, who now lives in Southern California, wore a shirt
emblazoned with a photo of Cliff snapped by Brackett during the early
days of Metallica.

“I remember Cliff’s parents were always dedicated followers
of his music. They’d go to every show and order all the photos I took
of Cliff and the band...even the blurry ones,” Brackett recalled with a
laugh. “Cliff was well known in all musical circles as a fantastic
musician and his legend lives on.”

During their 27 year career, Metallica released 11 albums
with five debuting at number one on the “Billboard Top 200”
consecutively. An estimated 100 million copies of the albums have been
sold worldwide, more than half in the U.S.

No matter how busy he during rehearsal and recording
sessions with Metallica, Burton always found time for one of his main
loves—going out and fishing on Lake Chabot, according to Brackett.



Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-