“He told him to keep playing and never stop”: The heartwarming moment James Hetfield met a 10-year-old superfan

A 10-year-old guitarist has shared the life-changing moment he met Metallica's down-picking extraordinaire, James Hetfield, who signed his guitar and offered some important advice to the young prodigy.

The pre-teen shredder, Jacob K, has amassed several thousand followers on Instagram thanks to his Metallica-propelled busking videos. Last summer, he got to meet the man responsible for his favorite riffs, and his reaction was nothing short of heartwarming.

The meeting took place in Tampa in June 2025, with the band in town as part of their M72 world tour – one Hetfield had nightmares about before on the eve of the run. In the clip, Hetfield can be heard asking, “Is this yours?” of the white-and-black ESP LTD Iron Cross SW, before scrawling his signature on it.

Jacob had attended a pop-up store the day after the concert, when Hetfield flipped his world upside down.

“Met my favorite person,” he writes on Instagram. “The best musician/guitarist and the reason I play guitar. He was so amazing, cool, and so kind to me. It was the best day ever. I will never forget it.”

Jacob was set to be in attendance for night two of the band’s Tampa trip, with his parents reflecting on what the meet-up meant to their son.

“What meant the most wasn’t just meeting the GOAT. It was how humble, kind, and genuine James was with our son,” they write. “He stopped. He talked with him. He encouraged him. He told him to keep playing and never stop.

“Up until that moment, Jacob’s world was countless hours of watching interviews, concerts, performances, learning Metallica riffs, and listening daily. This wasn’t just meeting an idol, it was meeting the person who inspired it all.

“As parents, watching that brief moment of kindness changed us, too. Seeing a legend take time for a kid who looks up to him so deeply is something we’ll never forget. Talent is incredible, but character is everything. He’s the real deal. Forever grateful. Forever inspired.”

Indeed, as Yungblud once said, “you ain't ever gonna see James Hetfield slag off a young rock star.”

The accompanying video clip was originally filmed for personal use, with the family then opting to share it on social media to showcase Hetfield’s humility, and what was a truly ‘pinch-me’ moment for the young guitarist.

In related news, Gorjia's Joe Duplantier has revealed Hetfield introduced him to ESP guitars, resulting in a killer signature offset after leaving Charvel.