Cliff Burton

American musician, a song-writer and bass guitarist, and integral member of the heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 until his untimely death. A music buff from an early age, he learned how to play piano as a child. By age 14 he was proficient on the bass guitar and reportedly practiced, without encouragement from his parents, for four to six hours per day. He joined a group Trauma and while performing with them at a gig in Los Angeles, perked up the ears of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica. They invited him to join their band to replace their departing bassist. Burton died in a tragic bus accident while on tour in Sweden the morning of September 27, 1986. He was only 24.