Metallica frontman James Hetfield performed for the first time since his fall 2019 return to rehab during a February 20 appearance at an Eddie Money tribute show in Beverly Hills, CA.
The event at the city’s Saban Theater saw Hetfield offer his own personal story about befriending the late rocker, who passed away from esophageal cancer in September at the age of 70.
"I got to hang out with Eddie, the last probably three years of his life," Hetfield told the crowd. "I saw the cleaned-up version of Eddie."
The guitarist first met Money at an Oakland Raiders football game where the singer was set to perform the National Anthem.
"I met him before he went out there, and he kinda blew me off," Hetfield continued. "I thought, 'Who is is this pompous ass?' And, if you spot it, you got it, is what I'm saying. So it was like two big dogs going in a circle around each other, which was kinda funny. I saw through it. I saw through that ego and he saw through mine, and we got to be friends, because I think our egos matched the size or our insecurities."
Hetfield performed a solo acoustic version of Money’s 1977 smash, “Baby Hold On”, at the tribute evening, which raised funds for MusiCares and The USC Eddie Money Cancer Research Fund and saw appearances by Sammy Hagar, George Thorogood, John Waite, Mickey Thomas, Kevin Cronin and Dave Amato of REO Speedwagon, Greg Kihn and Tommy Tutone, among others.
Hetfield re-entered rehab for addiction issues last September, which caused the cancellation of a series of dates in Australia and New Zealand and, most recently, the postponement of Metallica’s second annual All Within My Hands benefit concertfrom next month to September 2020.
See also:
Metallica postpone second annual All Within My Hands benefit concert
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Search Metallica at hennemusic
