10 Musicians Who Decided To Quit Huge Bands

Metallica are one of the most important rock bands to come out of the ‘80s. Just the band’s name alone tells you that you’re going to be in for something brutal, heavy, and absolutely amazing. It’s a pretty sweet gig to get in a band as seminal as Metallica, but the band’s early days didn’t really click with bassist Ron McGovney.

Though Metallica have changed their four-stringers more than a few times, McGovney was the one musician who occupied the spot before Cliff Burton brought his technical prowess to the table. Supplying the initial practice space, McGovney was the quiet one of the group, who often couldn’t keep up with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich bouncing off the walls.

Even with all the signs pointing to a potential record deal, Ron eventually decided to retire from Metallica citing growing tensions that were brewing between him, Lars, and new guitarist Dave Mustaine. The band were initially scrambling to find a replacement, but the arrival of Cliff Burton kicked the band into high gear, with his incredible tenacity and vast knowledge of music theory. The core lineup of Metallica may not have come until Kirk Hammett’s arrival, but McGovney’s departure planted the seeds for more epic things to come.