Metallica’s Hetfield: Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll a Horrible Myth
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James Joyner @ Gone Hollywood | Sunday, May 14, 2006 |
Metallica’s James Hetfield told a fundraiser audience Friday night that making a movie about drug addiction saved his life.
Metallica frontman James Hetfield fought back tears on Friday as he recounted his public battle with addiction, and labeled the sex, drugs and rock’ n’ roll ethos as a “horrible myth.” The 42-year-old singer/guitarist was being honored at a Hollywood fundraiser for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides access to addiction recovery for members of the music community.
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Hetfield began his speech asking for a moment of silence “for the people who didn’t make it, that aren’t with us, who could be and I think should be.” He recounted the old saw that “dying is easy, living is hard,” and offered his own recovery as proof that addiction is survivable.
Five years ago, things were different, he recalled, expressing gratitude to the award-winning documentary “Some Kind of Monster,” which depicted Metallica’s virtual dissolution as Hetfield began a lengthy rehabilitation to treat drug and alcohol abuse. “I think that movie helped some people, and it took the black veil away, it took the mystique and the mystery out of the rock myth ’sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll,”‘ he said. “What a horrible statement, to me. It is a myth. And to have those things attached to music, which is the best drug in the whole f—- world, moves me like no other. And I thank God that I discovered that gift early on.”
Anyone who has watched more than a couple episodes of “Behind the Music” and its many immitators knows the story. It’s almost cliche’. I’m glad to see Hetfield turn his life around, although it always amazes me that smart, talented people keep making the same horrible mistakes.
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I know that substance abuse has been a part of rock since its inception in the late 40s (and was part of jazz before that), but something happened at some point to force a convergence of cartoonishness (as evidenced by a silly name for an ensemble like “Metallica”) industry indulgence of unbridled testosterone, and a complete jettisoning of aesthetic standards to create nightmares like the life Mr. Hetfield found himself leading.