Today is Cliff Burton’s birthday. He was born in 1962 and played bass – and HOW – on Metallica’s first three albums Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets.
In 1986 he was killed in a traffic accident while the band were touring in Sweden.
Metallica went on to become one of the biggest bands in the world after having been told by Cliff’s mother that he would have wanted them to continue.
It took them along time before they could face the loss and by all accounts replacement Jason Newsted was given hell by the other members before he quit after some fifteen years in the band.
Anyway. Here’s Metallica playing For Whom The Bell Tolls live in 1985, and it starts with Cliff Burton playing a bass solo. Not many can pull that off.