- Metallica's first album, "Kill 'Em All", was originally titled "Metal Up Your Ass", but the label didn't like the title and forced the band to change it. After the band learned of the change, Cliff said "Just kill 'em all, man,". The rest of the band liked the phrase and decided to use it as the new title for the album, which was released in 1983.
- Former bassist for the heavy metal band Metallica. He worked on their first three albums ("Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master of Puppets").
- One of the riffs he recorded before he died appeared on the song "To Live Is To Die" on Metallica's 1988 album "...And Justice For All".
- Played bass only with his fingers, never used a pick
- Also played bass in the power/speed metal band Trauma. This was the band that James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich saw perform at the Whisky a Go Go in 1982. James and Lars were looking for a potential bass player for Metallica and wanted Cliff to join. Cliff would only join Metallica if they had moved up north, which they eventually did, and the rest is history.
- Was killed in a tour bus accident on the morning of September 27, 1986, when Metallica was touring Europe after completing a spring/summer tour with Ozzy Osbourne in 1986.Jason Newsted replaced Burton as Metallica's new bassist in 1986.
- In 1987 Metallica released a home video Metallica: Cliff 'Em All! (1987), in honor of Burton.
- Was a big fan of the band The Misfits. Metallica even covered two Misfits songs ("Die, Die My Darling" and "Last Caress/Green Hell") on their 1998 double cover album, "Garage Inc.".
- Metallica's instrumental song "Orion" (found on their 1986 album, "Master of Puppets") was played at Burton's funeral.
- The first instrument he learned to play was the piano.
- Out of the "big four" of thrash metal, Cliff was very good friends with the members of Anthrax (who were also labelmates with Metallica on Megaforce at one point) and cited them as one of his favorite thrash metal bands. Metallica even took Anthrax out on what proved to be Cliff's last tour in Europe, and Anthrax even dedicated their 1987 album "Among the Living" to him.
- Was classmates and friends of Jim Martin and Mike Bordin from Faith No More. Well before Burton joined Metallica, and before Martin and Bordin joined Faith No More, the three played together in the late 70's in a cover band called EZ-Street. Martin also wore a tribute to Burton t-shirt in the video for Faith No More's 1989 hit "Epic".
- Initially trained as a pianist, Burton switched to bass at age 13 after getting hooked on the theme music for the TV show Barney Miller (1975). It opens with a memorable jazz bassline, played by Chuck Berghofer.
- According to an interview with Kirk Hammett in Behind the Music (1997), the night before Cliff died, Metallica played cards to determine who would sleep where on the bus, which was said to have terrible sleeping arrangements. Cliff drew the ace of spades and told Kirk he wanted his bunk.
- Out of all the members of Metallica, Cliff is the only one to have never been married or have children.
- Is the only deceased member of Metallica, as of 2020.
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