Metallica was founded by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist James Hetfield on October 28th, 1981, in Los Angeles, California. Their first concert took place on March 14th, 1982, at Radio City in Anaheim. In the early days, the members all came from different parts of California and beyond. James Hetfield was born in Downey and raised in the suburbs of Cerritos and Norwalk. Lars Ulrich was born in Gentofte, Denmark, and moved with his family to Newport Beach, California, in 1980. Original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine was from La Mesa, in Southern California, while original bassist Ron McGovney was also from the Los Angeles area.

By 1983, Metallica had relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they found their long-term home base. Kirk Hammett, who replaced Mustaine just before the recording of their debut album, was born in San Francisco and grew up in El Sobrante, California. Cliff Burton, who joined the band in 1982 after Ron McGovney’s departure, was from Castro Valley, California. He tragically died on September 27th, 1986, in a bus accident in Sweden while on tour. Cliff was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea, as was his wish. His family held a memorial service at the Chapel of the Valley in Castro Valley.

Following Cliff’s death, Jason Newsted from Battle Creek, Michigan, joined the band and played with them until 2001. He spent much of his Metallica years living in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Robert Trujillo, from Santa Monica, California, became the permanent bassist in 2003. He grew up in Culver City, in the greater Los Angeles area.

Today, the members of Metallica are spread across the United States. James Hetfield lives in Vail, Colorado, though he also retains a ranch property in Sonoma County, Northern California. Lars Ulrich resides in San Francisco. Kirk Hammett lives in Hawaii, on the Big Island, where he relocated for a quieter lifestyle, though he still maintains property in California. Robert Trujillo lives in Southern California, near Los Angeles.

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