Kirk hammett metallica biography

American guitarist (born 1962)

Musical artist

Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962)^[1] is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist of heavy metal band Metallica since 1983.

Prior to joining Metallica, he co-formed the thrash metal band Exodus in 1979. In 2003, Hammett, along with bandmate James Hetfield, was ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's list of Greatest Guitarists of All Time.^[2] In 2009, Hammett was ranked number 15 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.^[3][4][5]

Early life

Hammett was born on November 18, 1962, in San Francisco, California, and raised in the town of El Sobrante.^[6] He is the son of Teofila "Chefela" (born Oyao) and Dennis L.

Hammett (a Merchant Mariner).^[7] His mother is of Filipino descent and his father was of English, German, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.^[8] He attended De Anza High School in Richmond, California.

While