The Singer METALLICA Wanted Before JAMES HETFIELD, But He Said No

Summary

• Metallica once considered bringing in John Bush from Armored Saint to sing, as James Hetfield doubted his own vocals early on.
• Bush turned down the offer to stay loyal to his band, which was gaining momentum in the LA metal scene at the time.
• Looking back, Bush says only Hetfield could have been Metallica’s frontman, and finally sang with them in 2011.

James Hetfield is the face and voice of Metallica, one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world.

His gritty voice, aggressive rhythm guitar playing, and songwriting skills have helped define the band’s sound since the early 1980s.

But early on, Hetfield wasn’t so confident about his singing.

Back in 1982 and 1983, when Metallica was just starting out in Los Angeles, Hetfield thought about stepping away from the microphone. He wanted to focus more on his guitar playing and leave the singing to someone else.

At the time, Metallica was still a local band trying to stand out in a crowded scene. They were heavier and faster than many of the glam rock acts coming up on the Sunset Strip, but their future was anything but certain.

Who Did They Have in Mind?

The band considered John Bush, a rising vocalist from another local group called Armored Saint. Bush was already gaining attention in the LA metal scene for his powerful voice and energetic stage presence.

Bush and his band were doing well. They were playing popular clubs like the Troubadour and getting strong crowds. Armored Saint had a loyal following, and they weren’t seen as just another hair metal act. They had credibility among metal fans.

In a 2017 interview with Metal Hammer, the band’s early manager Jon Zazula said Metallica was seriously considering the idea of bringing in Bush to sing.

“He was Metallica’s singer, but they had ideas of going further with a lead singer,” Zazula said about Hetfield at the time.

A Different Metallica?

It’s hard to imagine “Enter Sandman”, “Master of Puppets”, or “One” without Hetfield’s distinct vocal style. But early in the band’s life, that voice was still developing.

In those early shows, Hetfield sometimes didn’t play guitar on stage. He wore leopard-print pants and held the mic while singing. According to Bush, it was clear Hetfield was still figuring things out.

“It’s safe to say that he was pretty green and pretty insecure about his position,” Bush told Metal Hammer.

Lars Ulrich, Metallica’s drummer and co-founder, was reportedly a big fan of Bush’s voice. Zazula remembered that Lars was “in love with the way John sang for Armored Saint.”

That admiration led to a phone call. Zazula reached out to Bush and asked if he’d be interested in joining Metallica.

Why Bush Said No

In 2021, Bush appeared on Waste Some Time With Jason Green and reflected on the offer. He said he was “super flattered” by the invitation, but he turned it down.

His reason was simple. Armored Saint was his band. He had started it with close friends. They were doing well, and he saw no reason to leave just as things were taking off.

“Metallica was nobody. Armored Saint was hot, you have to remember that,” Bush said. At the time, he didn’t see Metallica as a better opportunity.

Later, after Metallica released Kill ‘Em All, there were rumors that they were still interested in Bush. But by then, Hetfield’s confidence as a singer had grown. His performance on the band’s second album, Ride the Lightning, showed how far he had come.

“James owns that record,” Bush said.

No Regrets

Years later, Bush finally sang with Metallica (watch below). During the band’s 30th anniversary shows in San Francisco in 2011, he joined them on stage to perform “The Four Horsemen” and “Seek and Destroy.”

Still, he has no regrets about turning down the full-time gig.

“There’s no other singer that should have been the singer of Metallica other than James Hetfield,” he told Metal Hammer.

In the end, Hetfield stayed on as lead vocalist, and his voice became a signature part of Metallica’s identity.

Bush went on to join another major metal band, Anthrax, in 1992, where he sang for over a decade. He rejoined Armored Saint in the early 2000s and has remained with them ever since.

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There’s no telling how different music history would look if Bush had joined Metallica. Maybe the band would have taken a different path. Maybe not.

But what’s clear is this: James Hetfield found his voice, and Metallica found its sound. The rest is history.

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