James Hetfield Breaks Silence On Elton John’s Metallica Remark: “That Is The Most Rewarding Thing”
Metallica frontman James Hetfield has broken his silence on the five-time Grammy Award-winner musician Elton John‘s Nothing Else Matters remark and expressed his emotional comments about that.
Metallica released Nothing Else Matters in their self-titled fifth studio album in 1991. The album became Metallica‘s one of the best-selling albums of all time. Certifying 16x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2012, the album has sold more than sixteen million copies in the US.
On September 9, Metallica and Miley Cyrus had shared the stage on The Howard Stern Show to perform their collaboration Nothing Else Matters in The Blacklist album. At the same show, Elton John made a surprising Zoom call to comment on Metallica and The Blacklist.
Sharing his thoughts about Metallica and their classic Nothing Else Matters, Elton had said Nothing Else Matters is one of the best songs ever written for him. After those words, Metallica frontman James Hetfield got emotional and had cried.
Recently, James has shared his honest opinion on Elton‘s Metallica remark in a recent interview with Zane Lowe. Recalling his band’s appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Hetfield expressed his excitement and surprise in front of Elton‘s honest words.
“Well, earlier when we were playing with Miley [Cyrus, on The Howard Stern Show last month], Elton John was on a Zoom call and he says, ”Nothing Else Matters’ is one of the most beautiful melodies and I guess ballad love songs ever written,'” Hetfield says.
“And I was like, ‘No way! There’s no way this man is saying that, who wrote ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’! Oh my god, ‘Candle in the Wind,’ come on! Are you sure?’
“A huge compliment and I will take it for what it is… That is the most rewarding thing.”
James Hetfield Reveals A Life-Changing Experience About Nothing Else Matters
At the time, just before Metallica and Miley played Nothing Else Matters side by side, Howard Stern asked a question to James Hetfield.
Saying through Hetfield that he didn’t even want to present this song to the band because he was ashamed of it, James confirmed it. Later, he revealed a life-changing experience about the song.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “That was one of those, very vulnerable places, and, you know, that was just the last thing, especially, [the] late 80s…
“We built this reputation of tough guy. And, you know, ‘we’re made of stone, you can’t hurt us,’ blah, blah, blah…
“And this is one of the most vulnerable things, and obviously, the tougher the armor, the bigger the heart you want to show and what you’re afraid to.
“So, I was shocked when Bob Rock and Lars Ulrich both said that is beautiful, that’s an amazing song. It was a life-changing experience to be, ‘Okay, playing this for them.’ And them accepting it.”
