JAMES HETFIELD ENTERS HIS HIGHSCHOOL'S HALL OF FAME

Who says you can't go home? From self-described misfit to metal legend, Metallica's James Hetfield had a homecoming of a different sort on Friday: James was inducted into his high school's hall of fame. Hetfield received a special induction for attending Downey High in Downey, California during his freshman and sophomore years, an era of great personal difficulties for a young man at the centre of a family torn apart. "I'm here to talk about the tough times that I made it through," said James. "My father left when I was 13 and my mother passed away when I was 16. I didn't get to finish high school here, which was very unfortunate, 'cause I did have a lot of friends here, and I ended up moving to a new school and having to live with my older brother. "So high school was not the best time for me. But music was a savior — a very big savior in my life — and I was able to climb into other people's heads and their records and get involved in music and, basically, instead of hanging out at school, I went home and practiced guitar.