Metallica Band Members: Age, Wife and Net Worth (updated, 2024)

When we think of Metallica, the first song that comes to mind is Nothing Else Matters, released in 1991. It is the song that makes our eyes drift away while listening to it, and the song has the perfect solo of James Hetfield, the guitarist and lead singer of Metallica. But Metallica’s history goes back to 1981. Let’s look at the lives of Metallica band members, whose lives were filled with lots of touring, concerts, alcohol, and therapy, and answer the frequently asked questions about Metallica.

The Birth of Metallica

The seeds of the band Metallica were sown by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1981. Lars wanted to start his band and placed an ad in a newspaper in Los Angeles. A Black Sabbath fan who was only 18 years old applied for the job. This Black Sabbath fan was James Hetfield.

Ulrich wanted to record a demo but couldn’t find anyone other than Hetfield, whom he thought would be suitable for the band.

Hetfield was not the only musician to apply for the job. After searching for a while, they hired a guitarist named Lloyd Grant to play bass guitar. After that, they found Dave Mustaine in the same circle and entered the studio. Later, Mustaine and Grant were removed from the band and replaced by Kirk Hammett and Cliff Burton.

These were not the only changes in the band. In 1983, Cliff Burton joined Metallica but unfortunately died in 1986 due to an accident on a bus in Sweden. Jason Newsted replaced Cliff Burton in 1986. However, his Metallica career did not last long, and in 2001, he announced his departure from Metallica for personal reasons.

After St. Anger and Some Kind of Monster, Metallica added Robert Trujillo to replace Newsted.

Metallica Lineup Changes

In 2003, Metallica settled down in terms of members, and there has been no change in the members until today. However, there have been many changes in Metallica since 2003. Here are all the Metallica lineup changes:

Click the play button and listen to “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica while reading the rest of the article!

Metallica band members: Original, past, and latest members

• 1981: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Lloyd Grant
• 1982: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Dave Mustaine – Ron McGovney
• 1982: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Dave Mustaine – Ron McGovney – Brad Parker
• 1982: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Dave Mustaine – Ron McGovney
• 1983: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Dave Mustaine – Cliff Burton
• 1983: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Cliff Burton -Kirk Hammett
• 1986: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Cliff Burton – Kirk Hammett – John Marshall
• 1986-2001: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Kirk Hammett – Jason Newsted
• 1992: James Hetfield -Lars Ulrich – Kirk Hammett – Jason Newsted – John Marshall
• 2002-03: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Kirk Hammett – Bob Rock
• 2003-Present: James Hetfield – Lars Ulrich – Kirk Hammett – Robert Trujillo

Lars Ulrich (1981–present): Age, wife, and net worth

Lars Ulrich is 60 years old (2023) and was born on December 26, 1963, in Gentofte, Denmark, into a family of sportsmen. He is the son of Lone and professional tennis player Torben Ulrich. Not only his father but also his grandfather, Einer Ulrich, was a professional tennis player. Lars Ulrich was a rich kid.

He decided to move to Los Angeles at the age of 16 and started playing drums there. Soon after, as mentioned above, he formed the band Metallica with James Hetfield.

10 years ago, in an interview, Lars Ulrich was asked what his first thought was when he met Hetfield for the first time:

He said:

“He was very shy and quiet, probably uncomfortable with himself, and did not make eye contact.”

Lars Ulrich wife

Lars Ulrich had many relationships during his time at Metallica. His first marriage was in 1988 to Debbie Jones, whom he met on tour. However, their marriage turned into a long-distance relationship due to the preparation of Metallica’s 1991 album “Metallica”. Therefore, the couple decided to end their marriage in 1990.

In 1997 Ulrich married his second wife Skylar Satenstein, who has a Doctor of Medicine degree, a Cellular and Molecular Biology degree (Harvard University), a Master’s degree in Public Health, and has studied Prevention Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.  This marriage lasted until 2004. The couple has two children. On August 5, 1998, their first son Myles Ulrich was born and on May 6, 2001, their second son Lyne Ulrich was born.

After his divorce from Satenstein, Ulrich was in a relationship with Danish actress Connie Nielsen from 2004 to 2012. They have one child together. Lars Ulrich is currently married to American model Jessica Miller.

Lars Ulrich’s net worth

According to metalcastle, as of 2023, Lars Ulrich is the richest Metallica member. Ulrich has a net worth of over $350.

James Hetfield (1981 – present): Age, wife, and net worth

James Hetfield is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary songwriter of the band Metallica. He’s been with Lars Ulrich since the founding of Metallica.

Hetfield had a problem that many rock stars have, which brought many problems for the band: addiction. Metallica even had to cancel their Australian tour because of Hetfield’s addiction. But Hetfield, like the lead singer of Depeche Mode, Dave Gahan, never gave up the fight.

The relationship between Ulrich and Hetfield had ups and downs. Many rockers could not stand Lars Ulrich.

In an interview, James Hetfield was asked what his first impression of Lars was when he met him for the first time:

Hetfield answered, laughing:

“My first thought was there may be showers in Denmark but no soap…he smelled different.”

That is why the relationship has always had ups and downs up to now.

James Hetfield wife

Usually, rock stars’ marriages don’t last long. This situation was different for James Hetfield. Hetfield was first married to Argentine-born Francesca, whom he met in 1997. This marriage lasted 25 years. If we look at Hetfield’s addiction, we can say that the first reason why the marriage lasted so long was his wife Francesca’ love, and patience.

The couple has 3 children together. Cali (24), Castor (22) and Marcella (20).

The separation came as a surprise to many. In previous interviews, James praised his wife again and again for her support. Already, almost twenty years ago, he raved that Francesca had helped him mature and cope with problems, including anger management and alcohol abuse.

We wish all the family members good luck.

James Hetfield’s net worth

James Hetfield has a net worth of over $300 million (2023). Most of his earnings come from Metallica’s albums and tours.

Dave Mustaine (1982–1983): Age, wife, and net worth

Dave Mustaine is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, and lead vocalist of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Mustaine was born on September 13, 1961, in La Mesa, California.

Regarding his relationship with Metallica, Mustaine was one of the original members of the band when the band was formed in 1981. He played lead guitar for Metallica and contributed to their debut album, “Kill ‘Em All.” However, due to personal and musical differences, Mustaine was dismissed from the band in 1983.

After he departed from Metallica, Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth in 1983. The band went on to become one of the pioneering acts of the thrash metal genre.

Dave Mustaine wife

Dave Mustaine’s wife is Pamela Anne Casselberry, whom he married in 1990. They have two children together, a son and a daughter.

Dave Mustaine’s net worth

Dave Mustaine has a net worth of $20 million. This figure is the result of his successful career in Metallica and Megadeth. With Metallica, Mustaine has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.

Ron McGovney (1982 – 1982): Age, wife, and net worth

Ron McGovney was the original bassist of Metallica when it was formed in 1981. McGovney played a crucial role in the early development of Metallica’s sound.

However, McGovney’s tenure with Metallica was relatively short-lived. He left the band in 1982, and his departure was primarily due to personal and musical differences. After his departure, Metallica went on to achieve significant success with subsequent bassist Cliff Burton and later with Jason Newsted and Robert Trujillo.

Ron McGovney wife

Ron McGovney is married to her longtime girlfriend, Rene Michele Norrod. The couple tied the knot in the 1990s.

Ron McGovney’s net worth

Ron McGovney has a net worth of $1 million. The average salary of a musician is $30 thousand to $71.9 thousand per year.

Cliff Burton (1983 -1986): Age, wife, and net worth

Cliff Burton was the bassist of Metallica from 1983-1986. He joined Metallica in 1983.

Tragically, Cliff Burton’s life was cut short on September 27, 1986, when Metallica’s tour bus was involved in an accident in Sweden. He was just 24 years old at the time of his death. He was highly respected for his contributions to Metallica’s early albums, including “Kill ‘Em All,” “Ride the Lightning,” and “Master of Puppets.”

Cliff Burton wife

Cliff Burton was not married at the time of his death. However, he had a long-term girlfriend named Corinne. They were in a committed relationship and were planning to marry before the tragic accident occurred.

Kirk Hammet (1983–present): Age, wife, and net worth

After the band’s original lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine, was fired in 1983 due to personal issues, Hammett was extended an invitation to join Metallica. At the time, Joe Satriani was teaching Hammett privately. Joe Satriani was the inaugural member of Guitar World magazine’s “Hall of Fame” in 2002. He has nearly 40 years of touring experience with Metallica, and many contemporary guitarists look up to him.

Kirk Hammett is primarily Metallica’s lead guitarist, however, Hammett has written and contributed riffs for Metallica songs since the mid-80s. One of these riffs was “Enter Sandman.”. This song was written in a hotel room at 3 am and became one of Metallica’s most successful songs.

Kirk Hammet wife

Kirk Hammett, the lead guitarist of Metallica, had been married to Rebecca Enrica Kestelyn for about 11 years before being married to his second spouse. Because of his music career, their marriage lasted for about four years before they divorced in 1991.

In 1988, Hammett married her second wife, Lani Hammett (formerly known as Lani Todd). They have been together since 1998. The couple has two children.