Hammett was born in San Francisco, California on November 18, 1962, to Teofila (Oyao) and Dennis L. Hammett, a merchant seaman. He learned guitar at age 15 and joined Metallica to replace Dave Mustaine in 1982. He has won several Grammys with Metallica and participated in their class action law suit against Napster. His father had Irish, English, ...