What is Cliff Burton?
{{Infobox musical artist | Name = Cliff Burton | Img = Metallica 1983 press photo (cropped).jpg | Img_capt = Burton in 1983 | Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | Birth_name = Clifford Lee Burton | Alias = | birth_date= {{birth date|1962|2|10}} | birth_place = [[Castro Valley, California]], [[United States]] | death_date= {{Death date and age|1986|09|27|1962|02|10}} | death_place = [[Ljungby Municipality]], [[Sweden]] | Genre = [[Thrash metal]], [[speed metal]] | Instrument = [[Bass guitar|Bass]] | Occupation = [[Musician]], [[songwriter]] | Years_active = [[1979 in music|1979]]–1986 | Label = | Associated_acts = [[Metallica]], Agents of Misfortune, EZ-Street, Trauma | URL = }} '''Clifford Lee Burton''' (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an [[Americans|American]] [[musician]]. He is best known for playing the [[bass guitar]] in the [[thrash metal]] band [[Metallica]] from 1982 until his death in 1986. Burton's early musical journey includes performing in bands such as EZ-Street and Agents of Misfortune. He was discovered by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich while performing in Los Angeles, who asked him to take over the place of the bassist of Metallica at the time, Ron McGovney. [[File:Cliff Burton - by Fruggo.jpg|thumb|left|A memorial plaque or [[grave]] to honour his legacy.]] He died during a European tour in [[Sweden]] on September 27, 1986 when Metallica was celebrating the success of their album [[Master of Puppets]]. The band’s tour bus skidded off the road and flipped over. Burton was thrown out of the bus window and the bus fell on him. They attempted to rescue Burton from underneath the bus by lifting it with a crane, but the crane slipped, and the bus landed down on top of Burton a second time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/metallica-bassist-cliff-burton-dies-in-a-bus-accident/|access-date=2012-12-30|title=26 Years Ago: Metallica Bassist Cliff Burton Dies in a Bus Accident}}</ref> By that time, he was already dead at just 24 years old. == Early life == Burton was b