At 63, James Hetfield Reveals The 5 Greatest Rock Singers He Ever Heard

#JamesHetfield #RonnieJamesDio #OzzyOsbourne James Hetfield has spent a lifetime surrounded by powerful voices, but only a handful have left a mark he still carries with him. At the top of his list is Ronnie James Dio, a singer whose extraordinary range left James both frustrated and amazed. He remembers asking Ronnie how he prepared before a show, only to receive an answer that seemed almost impossible. Then there's Layne Staley, whose voice made James drive recklessly across Los Angeles just to catch a live performance — arriving moments too late. These are not simply memories of great singers. They're stories about admiration, missed moments, and the emotions that stay long after the music ends. James also looks back on Rob Halford, the Metal God who remains a genuine fan of heavy music, and Chris Cornell, whose approach to vocals and repeating guitar riffs helped influence Metallica's "King Nothing." Finally, he returns to the beginning: discovering Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne at just nine years old, in a dark bedroom, and hearing a sound that would shape the rest of his life. From a friendship with Rob to the debt he feels he can never repay to Ozzy and Sabbath, these five voices reveal the singers who inspired, challenged, and changed James Hetfield along the way. #Metallica #LayneStaley #RobHalford #ChrisCornell #BlackSabbath