Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an American musician and songwriter who was the bassist for American heavy metal band Metallica from 1982 until his death in 1986. He performed on Kill 'Em All (1983), Ride the Lightning (1984), and Master of Puppets (1986), the band's first three studio albums. Burton also received a posthumous writing credit on ...And Justice for All (1988) for the song "To Live Is to Die". While touring in 1986 to support Master of Puppets, Burton died following a bus crash in Sweden. A prominent musical influence, Burton placed ninth in a 2011 reader poll from Rolling Stone recognizing the greatest bassists of all time. He was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica in 2009.

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