James Hetfield’s Letter To Their First Bassist Found

An intriguing piece of rock history surfaced recently when an X user shared pages from Ron McGovney’s 1981 Downey High School yearbook. Among these pages was a handwritten letter from James Hetfield to McGovney, who was Metallica’s first bassist. The contents offer a glimpse into their early relationship and the band’s formative years.

Early Bonds and Dreams

The letter reveals a personal side of Hetfield, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Metallica, a band that later rose to monumental success. Addressing McGovney, Hetfield writes, “Ron, I’ll sign it even if I didn’t go to Downey this year. I can’t wait till we get the studio + the house together. I know ‘The Charm’ will happen. Just keep practicing bass, watch ‘General Hospital,’ and get long hair + stay skinny.” This note highlights Hetfield’s hopeful anticipation for their future collaborations, underscoring his commitment even before Metallica was fully established.

Hetfield and McGovney initially played together in a lesser-known garage band named Leather Charm. Further in the letter, Hetfield touched on missed opportunities and shared aspirations, “Too bad you can’t go to Ozzy [Osbourne], but have a b*tchin’ time in Hawaii. I know you will with your I.D. I hope we can have that party at the house. It will be a cranker, especially with ‘Leather Charm’ playing. Well, good luck from me + the rest of ‘The Charm.’” This message not only reflects the casual, carefree attitudes prevalent in their youth but also Hetfield’s encouragement and well wishes for McGovney, emphasizing the bond they shared during those early days.

The yearbook contained more than just the letter. It featured a list ranking musicians, about which another X user inquired, “This two-page sheet was inside ranking musicians. Any idea if you wrote that out or James did. Thanks man!” To this, McGovney responded, confirming his own involvement: “I wrote the musician ranking papers. That was a common thing we did in school on a daily basis.”

McGovney’s Departure and Burton’s Tribute

Ron McGovney’s tenure with Metallica was brief; he was part of the band in its debut year and appeared on their early demos before departing from the lineup in late 1982. His exit was prompted by tensions with another band member, Dave Mustaine, but McGovney has expressed no regrets about his decision. He noted a mismatch with Metallica’s developing thrash style and a personal desire to pursue a career as a motorcycle mechanic at the time.

Adding a layer of respect to his departure, McGovney recalled an interaction involving Cliff Burton, who succeeded him as Metallica’s bassist until his tragic death in 1986. “He was really respectful of me for my tenure in the band, which was really nice. I remember at that Palladium show in ’84, I had a pass but it was just like a sticker pass. And I wanted to go in the back and talk to them but [security] wouldn’t let me in. Cliff saw me, he gave me his laminate. I walked back there and their tour manager said, ‘Why did you give him that?’ And Cliff said, ‘He was the first bass player for Metallica!’”

If you love Metallica history, you’ll love reading James Hetfield’s inscription to original Metallica Bassist Ron McGovney in his High School yearbook.

James ranks his favourite guitarists, drummers, bassists and vocalists.

A sensational historical snapshot from 1981!🤘 https://t.co/AvEdXIRoPK

— Punt Road (@punt_rd) May 13, 2024