Metallica’s gift of giving – CBS News

Carmen DeBerry is a newly minted commercial delivery driver in Baltimore, Maryland. She says that this new job has completely changed her life. “It feels amazing,” she said. “You know, I take care of my daughter, and I take care of my mother, too.”

The commercial driver’s license DeBerry received at the Community College of Baltimore County could have cost up to $7,500, money he didn’t have — that’s where four unlikely Bay Area guys stepped in.

Yes, we’re talking about the guys from the band Metallica, one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, with over 180 million records sold. “I mean, honestly, when I first signed up I didn’t know it was through Metallica; they just called it a scholarship,” DeBerry said.

The Metallica Scholarship, to be exact, is part of more than $10 million donated by the band’s charity All Within My Hands to workforce education, mostly in the form of grants through trade schools and community colleges.

James Hetfield, lead singer of Metallica, said, “Not everyone is cut out for college, and not everyone needs college.” And he should know; He himself is the son of a truck driver, something he has not forgotten.

“It was very evident during COVID, you know, when we weren’t able to go out and do our jobs,” Hetfield said. “But plumbers, electricians, truck drivers, people who needed help keeping America running, were there. And thank God for them. You know, my thought is that the next millionaires will be businessmen.”

“I mean, we all came from very humble beginnings,” said Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, who worked in construction before becoming a professional musician. “At a certain point you realize, like, hey, you know, we’re selling tickets, we’re doing well, the ship is not sinking. What can we do to make people’s lives better?”

The band’s philanthropy actually began with the simple question of what they would do with their leftover food backstage at sports arenas and stadiums. He started donating it to local food banks; Then, they also started donating massive checks to food banks that went to disaster relief.

Guitarist Kirk Hammett said, “It was a little profound for us because one of the first things, probably in 2017, was the fires in Northern California, which affected a lot of people in the Bay Area.” When disaster struck in the band’s backyard, he says it hit home: “And we were able to help people right away. And there have been other examples where there have been earthquakes, you know, disasters, people need food and medicine. And we’ve been able to step up and send money, and not just a little bit, but enough money to make a difference to, you know, a good bunch of people who need it.”

But actually talking publicly about their charity work? It didn’t happen so easily, says drummer Lars Ulrich. “We never shouted it from the rooftops about it,” he said. “I think instinctively you just want to help. I mean, we’re all dependent on each other – you know, if you really want to break it down, you go, humans are pack animals and really thrive on, you know, the herd does better when everyone else is doing well.”

Now, if this doesn’t sound all that Metallica, it kind of doesn’t sound like the annual fundraising concert they’re holding in Los Angeles. Last year it raised $3.5 million and added some big Metallica fans, like Aquaman Jason Momoa. “They’ve kind of been the soundtrack of my life, man. I probably discovered them when I was ten years old. And I think these are your heroes. These are my heroes.”

It may be surprising to some that a band with songs like “Nothing Else Matters” and “Seek and Destroy” spends so much time thinking about improving other people’s lives. But for Hetfield, it’s a thought process that comes with age.

“It seems clear that we have a purpose,” he said. “And that purpose is to bring happiness to people on this planet, and it still blows my mind that there are three generations out there, you know, rocking out to ‘Master of Puppets.’ Like, really? Do you like this song? OK! That was written when I was 22, and I was angry. But beyond what we’ve done musically, as you grow up, you see the world in a different way. Start looking at the perspective, you know? My philosophy is, the bigger you get, the better the view of the world, and where you can serve. And that’s definitely one of them.”

Until now, Hetfield had never actually met the Metallica scholar, but the situation changed backstage before a show in Landover, Maryland, when a very admiring Carmen DeBerry stopped by. She told Hetfield, “I really think your scholarship, my telling them about your scholarship, is what got me the job.” “Because once I told them I got the Metallica scholarship, they were like, Wow, excellent? I got in and they took a chance with me. And I appreciate it.”

“right on!” Hetfield replied.

I asked, “You’re going to go out and play in front of thousands and thousands of people, and yet you have a moment to talk to someone whose life has been significantly changed by the charity work of All Within My Hands. What’s that experience like?”

Hetfield responded, “It’s pretty amazing. We get to go out there and make some people smile, deliver stuff by playing songs that save our lives. And then to create a foundation that’s giving back to blue collar America? We have to go from thousands of people who are making a big noise, that we know we’re impacting, but you know, having a heart-to-heart with someone whose life you’ve changed, it changes my life.”

You can stream Metallica’s album “72 Seasons” by clicking the embed below (free Spotify registration required to hear full tracks):

This Giving Tuesday, December 2, Metallica’s foundation AWMH is partnering with its longtime supporter, Carhartt, to help provide five million meals through Feeding America. Visit allwithinmyhands.org for more information.

For more information:

The story is produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Lauren Barnello.

See also: