1986 j�lius 5-�t mutattak a napt�rak, �s a Metallica nev� egy�ttes t�l volt els� sz�rnypr�b�lgat�sain �s �pp a Master Of Puppets turn�j�n voltak.

Akkoriban eg�sz m�s volt a zenekar viszonya a k�z�ns�g�kkel, �s nem kellett hozz� isteni csoda, hogy egy rajong� mondjuk elbesz�lgethessen a banda egy-k�t tagj�val. Egy ilyen rajong�, John is ott volt ezen a j�liusi napon a ny�ri Ozzy turn�n, melynek sz�neteiben a Metallica csin�lt kisebb showkat. Nagyj�b�l 4500 ember el�tt l�pett fel az egy�ttes egy The Villa Real in McAllen Texas nev� kisebb helyen. Az el�zenekar a The Godz volt. Akkoriban a Metallic�nak m�g nem volt meg a mai kultusz-jellege, �gyhogy a tagok sim�n s�t�lgathattak �ssze-vissza....John egyszer m�g bele is futott James Hetfieldbe a f�rd�szob�ban.

K�s�bb John a turn�busz k�r�l k�sz�lt, �s nemsok� ki is j�tt az egyik bandatag, besz�lgetni kezdett n�h�nyukkal �s adott p�r al��r�st. Azt�n sz�lt, hogy egy perc �s j�n is vissza, ezzel visszament a buszba �s kih�vta a t�bbi sr�cot, hogy j�jjenek ki, adjanak �k is autogramot. Egy id� ut�n a Metallic�nak m�r mennie kellett, de John arra m�g tiszt�n eml�kezett, hogy a tag �jra meg �jra k�sz�ngetett �s ezt mondta: "Viszl�t j�v�re." A bandatagot Cliff Burtonnek h�vt�k. �s m�r soha t�bb� nem l�tta viszont.

Az id� lassan �szbe fordult, �s ezzel nem csak a ny�r �rt v�get. John a koncert ut�n k�r�lbel�l 3 �s f�l h�nap m�lva hallotta, hogy Cliff halott. Nem tudta elhinni.

De kezdj�k most el�r�l a t�rt�netet, 1962 febru�rj�ban...

Clifford Lee Burton 1962 febru�r 10-�n l�tta meg a napvil�got a San Francisco-i Eden Klinik�n, eg�szen pontosan este f�l t�z ut�n 8 perccel. A sz�lei, Jan �s Ray Burton, helybeli hippik voltak, ennek hat�s�ra alakult ki k�s�bb Cliff imidzse, hippi �letszeml�lete, de mindenel�tt gondolkod�sm�dja.

Ray Tennesse-i sz�let�s� volt, �s a San Francisco-i Bay Area-nak dolgozott mint „Assistant Highway Engineer”. Jan sz�rmaz�s�t tekintve Califoniai volt, � pedig a helyi iskol�ban (Castro Valley) tan�tott h�tr�nyos k�pess�g� gyermekeket. Cliffnek volt egy b�tyja, akit Scott Davidnek h�vtak, �s egy Connie nev� n�v�re is. Scott 1975 m�jus 19-�n d�li tizenkett� el�tt 10 perccel Scott �let�t vesztette �ton a k�rh�zba menet, hal�l�t agy-aneurizma okozta.

Cliff 6 �ves kor�ban kezdett el zongor�zni, a basszusgit�rt pedig tin�dzserk�nt kezdte. 1978 szeptember�ben vette els� git�r�r�j�t, az utols�t pedig 1980 janu�rj�ban.

Cliffnek megvolt a maga st�lusa. Nagyon kiegyens�lyozott, nyugodt �s boldog ember volt. Szerette a s�rt, a marihu�n�t sem vetette meg, stb. �lland�an trap�znadr�gban j�rt, H. P. Lovecraft k�nyveit olvasta, odavolt a mexik�i konyh��rt, sz�vesen vad�szott vagy �lt ki a m�l�ra hal�szni, szeretett csak �gy zen�lgetni mindenf�le el�zetes pr�ba n�lk�l, �s persze egy�tt l�gni k�t legjobb bar�tj�val, Dave-vel �s Jimmel. San Francisco mellett n�tt fel, ugyanott, ahol Jim Martin, a Faith No More git�rosa. Ha mondhatjuk �gy, Cliff valamilyen szinten Clint Eastwood �s E. F. Hutton „�tv�zete” volt: nem besz�lt sokat, de ha megsz�lalt, mindig odafigyeltek r�.

Back in late 1982, it was decided that former bassist Ron McGovney wasn't really pulling his weight in Metallica. He wasn't taking the band seriously, which James and Lars had a real problem with. By that time, Metallica was beginning to go down. Lars and James were having problems with their Lead Guitarist, Dave Mustaine, because of his growing addictions and abuse of alcohol and drugs, and the terrible conflicts that he and James had on stage were becoming more frequent. Also James didn't want to sing anymore because he felt he wasn't doing a good enough job, so he proposed that he play Rhythm Guitar only.

Cliff was discovered in August of 1982. One of Metallica's peer bands up north making the rounds about this time was Trauma. In addition to being a favorite Bay-area club circuit draw, the band was gaining recognition through their one-song demo, featuring "Such a Shame" that eventually was transferred to vinyl on Metal Massacre II. More noteworthy, however, Trauma possessed within its ranks "the most head banging bassist" Lars and James had ever seen - Cliff Burton.

They initially spotted him during a live Trauma show at LA's Troubadour. Lars and James were very impressed by the way he played the bass.

Metallica set out on a grand pursuit to get Cliff to join the band. Burton presented the Los Angeles station band with an ultimatum, 'If Metallica relocated to San Francisco, he would join them.'

Metallica, with all their problems, relocated to San Francisco, where they were better received than in Los Angeles. Their first jam with Cliff occurred in the house of sound-man Mark Witaker, where their was a studio type setup in his garage. At the time James and Lars were living there, having relocated Metallica to the Bay Area in 1983 to be closer to Cliff. They recorded a 4 track demo and on March 5, 1983, Cliff played for the first time with Metallica at the Stone, in San Francisco. This was the beginning of 3 1/2 incredible years.

Cliff lived with his family in San Francisco, and for three and a half years he worked hard to take Metallica to the top. After replacing Ron McGovney in late 1982, Cliff instantly made a name for himself with his classic "wind-mill" style of thrashing on stage, with his hair flying out in all directions, and with his outdated, completely "unfashionable" image. With his hair hanging straight down from him head, he seemed seemed to be always dressed in a pair of bell-bottom jeans and a faded denim jacket. If it was cold, he wore a flannel shirt underneath.

Offstage, he was the ultimate laid-back Californian, a total opposite from his wild, aggressive on-stage attack. His sense of humor was great, as were his bass solos and everything about his stage presence. He was the most visual of all the band on-stage, he would just go wild. Cliff was also responsible for expanding the scope of Metallica's lyrical themes. Along with Kirk, he admired the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

The best example of how cool and unflappable Cliff was happened in the summer of 1985 at their Castle Donnington Festival appearance (August 17, 1985). Having ducked beneath a flying pear which ended up embedding itself in his bass bin, Burton coolly sauntered over to his stack, picked up the pear, took two bites out of it and hurled it back into the crowd.

Cliff was also a fine and inventive soloist, and his clever use of distortion and wah-wah in his "(Anesthesia) -- Pulling Teeth" showpiece made it one of the highlights of the band's live set. More importantly, Cliff was one hell of a nice guy and a much-loved figure in the Metallica camp. He always went out of his way to talk to the band's fans, no matter how tired he was. He was certainly the most unanimously appreciated by the band members as well as by the public.

For a while there it really looked as if 1986 was gonna be Metallica's year. After all, their third LP, Master of Puppets, had literally taken the music world by storm and, in doing so, had made the band virtual mega-stars in the eyes of the metal-doting public. Metallica had finally "made it", and it seemed that nothing could halt their inexorable rise to even greater glory. Then, during the European leg of the group's phenomenally successful Master of Puppets world tour, something went wrong - catastrophically wrong.