(CelebrityAccess) – Ray Burton, father of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton, has passed away at 94.
Metallica confirmed the news of his passing on Sunday (Jan. 19) in an emotional statement posted to their website.
“It is with incredible sorrow that we said farewell to Cliff’s dad Ray Burton last week. For 38 years, we were lucky enough to have the energy, wisdom and light of Ray in our lives,” the statement read. “His eternal youth with his drive, positivity and relentless smile were both incredibly powerful and stirringly honest. From coast to coast and overseas too, Ray’s beaming face would regularly greet us, offering warmth and anchor to our travels, and when it came to the entire Metallica family, band, crew and fans, he viewed us all as his own.”
Cliff, who died at the age of 24 in a bus crash on the band’s 1986 tour, performed on the band’s highly influential first three albums (Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets) and played an integral role in establishing Metallica’s sound.
You can read the band’s full statement as well as personal tributes to Ray HERE.
