We all know Chris Jericho as a phenomenal wrestler and performer, but it’s easy to forget he’s also a musician. As the frontman for the metal band Fozzy, Jericho has had several hits as he’s adapted to both entertainment worlds. He’s shown great respect toward those that came before him in both wrestling and music and has had it returned. So, it’s little surprise when Chris Jericho honors Ray Burton for what he meant to him and others, showing a side of himself he don’t often see.
This is something that really elevated Jericho in my eyes. He was already one of my favorite wrestlers, but seeing his tribute to the father of one of thrash metal’s architects and overall gentleman really speaks a lot about him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7hjyqDBDsp/
Cliff Burton
Most will ask, “Ray who?” and that’s valid considering his son was the main reason Mr. Burton’s a household name for so many.
Cliff Burton was the bass player for the heavy metal group Metallica. Cliff could do things with a base guitar that set an entire generation on fire as they tried to copy his style. To this day, he’s cited as an inspiration to many who pick up a base guitar. But he was more than that.
Though he was mostly soft spoken around others, Cliff was a musical genius who loved all forms of music (like his father) and took heavy metal to another level with Meatallica’s first three albums, but especially Master of Puppets, and the song “Orion,” which is considered his masterpiece by many.
Following Cliff’s tragic death in 1986 from an accident their tour bus was involved in, Mr. Burton became a “keeper” of Cliff’s legacy. He was someone who treated everyone with respect and integrity, and had a lasting influence on many people, including Chris Jericho.
On August 2017, Mr. Burton donated the royalties from Cliff’s work with Metallica to the music scholarship program at Cliff’s alma mater, Castro Valley High School.
A little respect goes a long way
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jih2dSS3gPw&t=26s
Like Ray Burton, Chris Jericho is a firm believer in respect, and it shows in how he speaks about those he’s met and treated him well. He’s said many times that Metallica is one of his favorite bands and inspirations (Jericho’s entrance video has the lines, “Am I evil? Yes I am” from Diamon Head’s song “Am I Evil? that Metallica made famous by covering it), so it’s only natural he’d have similar qualities to Mr. Burton, who said he was one of the band’s biggest fans and attended many shows.
Like Mr. Burton, Jericho has offered his thoughts and advice to others in the wrestling business, and in the end, that’s the kind of legacy we’d all like to leave behind.
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