Music Vehicular Deaths #1 - Cliff Burton

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My, but this has been interesting. We are at #1 in my Music Vehicular Deaths series, which belongs to former Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. Cliff Burton had a short professional career, lasting from 1980 to 1986, when the Metallica tour bus crashed outside of Dorarp, Sweden. Whether or not by plane or by motorized vehicles, a few musical death's resulted last minute in seat car or plane changes. In Cliff Burton's case, he and guitarist Kirk Hammett drew cards for a bunk at the back of the tour bus. Burton was asleep when the bus driver claims he hit a patch of black ice and skidded off the road. Burton was thrown through the window and died when the bus rolled on top of him. He was 24 years old. Vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield claims the bus driver was drunk, and went looking for black ice, finding none, which is also the official police findings. Swedish detective Arne Pettersson likened the bus' skidmarks to those of drivers that had fallen asleep at the wheel. The driver was found not at fault, and faced no charges. Burton's headstone is inscribed "To Live is to Die." Cliff Burton is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica. The award was accepted, instead of by the band, by Burton's father Ray. Cliff Burton played on Metallica's first three albums, all of them great. Even as a member of Metallica, he practiced up to six hours a day. Did it pay off? Watch the video. It's one of the nastiest bass solo's you're ever going to hear. (Info verified by Wikipedia)