Play Kirk Hammett Radio
Kirk Hammett
5,540 plays (1,186 listeners)
Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962 in El Sobrante, California, USA) is the lead guitarist in heavy metal group Metallica. Kirk is one of the most well-known guitar students of legendary guitarist/instructor Joe Satriani.
Hammett was born in El Sobrante, California to a Filipino mother and an Irish Merchant Marine father. As a child and teenager, he showed great interest in his older brother Rick’s extensive collection of hard rock records, including material by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and UFO. One of his biggest influences was Jimi Hendrix and he has performed parts of his songs during his guitar solos. He took up the guitar for the first time at the age of fifteen, beginning with a Montgomery Ward catalog special and little more than a shoebox with a four inch speaker for an amplifier. After picking up a 1978 Fender Stratocaster, Hammett attempted to customize his sound with various guitar parts, eventually falling for a 1974 Gibson Flying V. He even took a job at a Burger King restaurant to raise funds for a Marshall amplifier.
Hammett’s musical interests eventually drew him into the fledgling thrash metal genre. In 1982, he formed the group Exodus with vocalist Paul Baloff, guitarist Gary Holt, and drummer Tom Hunting. Exodus was a crucial early player in the Bay Area thrash movement.
Hammett was invited to join Metallica after the 1983 dismissal of the band’s original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine for substance abuse.
Hammett was born in El Sobrante, California to a Filipino mother and an Irish Merchant Marine father. As a child and teenager, he showed great interest in his older brother Rick’s extensive collection of hard rock records, including material by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and UFO. One of his biggest influences was Jimi Hendrix and he has performed parts of his songs during his guitar solos. He took up the guitar for the first time at the age of fifteen, beginning with a Montgomery Ward catalog special and little more than a shoebox with a four inch speaker for an amplifier. After picking up a 1978 Fender Stratocaster, Hammett attempted to customize his sound with various guitar parts, eventually falling for a 1974 Gibson Flying V. He even took a job at a Burger King restaurant to raise funds for a Marshall amplifier.
Hammett’s musical interests eventually drew him into the fledgling thrash metal genre. In 1982, he formed the group Exodus with vocalist Paul Baloff, guitarist Gary Holt, and drummer Tom Hunting. Exodus was a crucial early player in the Bay Area thrash movement.
Hammett was invited to join Metallica after the 1983 dismissal of the band’s original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine for substance abuse.
Shoutbox
-
ashrogue wrote:
your solos melt with style
-
ItayROFL wrote:
better than james.
-
CLoud_ZER0 wrote:
HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY *A*
-
avejohnny wrote:
Happy Birthday!!!
-
FlamingStairway wrote:
Happy Birthday!
-
DemonAmant wrote:
happy bday !!!!
-
vitscorp wrote:
\,,/ happy birthday, Mr. Hammett ! :) \,,/
-
Metalknight88 wrote:
amazing guitarist!!!
-
super_ruben09 wrote:
kkarbo: I'm not saying it's not his fault, but he IS overrated. He might be better as Mustaine as a guitar player, but Mustaine is better at songwriting. And lol @ your statement of Mustaine playing nearly no solos in 10 years with Friedman (and Friedman was awesome better then Mustaine, Hammett and Hetfield). Yes, Friedman played more, but I hope you're not forgetting Dave's solo in Holy Wars. Or his solo duel with Friedman in Hangar 18. Read the booklet of those albums, enough leads for Mustaine.
-
super_ruben09 wrote:
lol @ "best guitarist in the world" tag
-
muhmood wrote:
pity he couldn't make at least one good solo on death magnetic
-
AnEnd wrote:
I love him <3 And he isn't overrated. Have you ever seen how he plays? beastte - watch some videos with Metallica. Lars is egotistical, not Kirk.
-
DorinhaNeta wrote:
MY FAVORITE QUITAR PLAYER..SINCE MY 9 YEARS OLD
-
besatte wrote:
Reading the last months metal hammer (lulz I know, terrible magazine but it was either that or HEAT for a bus journey) and he comes across as very cocky. 'I saw metallica on stage for the first time and thought 'hey they could be really good if if I was in the band'. Sarcasm or not, it's still very egotistical.
-
kkarbo wrote:
Lulz. Oh really? Do explain.
-
besatte wrote:
Uncocky my arse.
-
kkarbo wrote:
For all the people who say he is so overrated, I never recall Kirk Hammett ever asking for fame, or to be called a great guitar player. I don't see why so many people hate such a uncocky person. So what if Dave Mustaine is better (which he actually isn't, technically), Dave Mustaine acts like he's the greatest guitarist evar. There's a reason he barely played solos for Ten years. And it's not because Freidman is such a great guitarist.
-
mateo6 wrote:
Soooo fuckin' overrated!!
-
suzallica wrote:
my hero
-
rickividal wrote:
ROFLOL @ TAGS
Videos
See more
Listeners
-
KuFuuu
Top Listener
-
E-gubben
Top Listener
-
barzingo
Top Listener
-
CraigFlem87
Top Listener
-
atex311
Top Listener
-
ilumias
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
ManuLesPaul, timbit98, DarthGajek and 9 other people added Kirk Hammett to their libraries. Friday afternoon
-
thebrucewayne tagged Kirk Hammett with norcal, sfo, kent and 4 other tags. 24 days ago
-
VeraOliveira2 uploaded Kirk_Hammett_by_mehmeturgut to Kirk Hammett’s images. last month
-
VeraOliveira2 linked Kirk Hammett to Kirk_Hammett_by_mehmeturgut. last month
-
VeraOliveira2 uploaded kirk_hammett to Kirk Hammett’s images. last month
-
VeraOliveira2 linked Kirk Hammett to kirk_hammett. last month
-
BNNs4l, Stadler13, PavelMirzoyan and 1 other person added Kirk Hammett to their libraries. last month
-
SupahShadow tagged Kirk Hammett with overrated and worst guitarist in the world. last month
-
Upwardsexpo added Kirk Hammett to Upwardsexpo’s library. last month
-
Serb2012 wrote about Kirk Hammett in Orbital. last month
Related Journals
-
Orbital
by Serb2012 |
24 Nov 2009 | Add comment
-
A Review of every Metallica album I own [currently updating]
by Headbanger62695 |
13 Sep 2009 | 33 comments
-
[My Gang] Miranda Lee Richards - Life Boat : Reco of the Week 24 Mar 09
by Babs_05 |
24 Mar 2009 | Add comment
Groups (21)
-
Guitar Gods
1,646 members
-
Metallica '83 - '88
984 members
-
Addicted to Guitar Solos
473 members
-
Famous Guitarists Groups Community
195 members
-
Finnish Metallica fans
141 members
More Information
- Links
