Metallica has paid tribute to Ray Burton, the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, who has died at the age of 94.
Cliff, who performed on the band's first three studio albums; Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, and Master Of Puppets, died at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash in Sweden while on the road with the band in 1986.
However, Ray continued to support the group, and joined them for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2009.
On Sunday, Ray's daughter Connie Burton announced that her father had passed away last Wednesday, and on Sunday, the rockers posted their own tribute online.
"It is with incredible sorrow that we said farewell to Cliff's dad Ray Burton last week," their post reads. "For 38 years, we were lucky enough to have the energy, wisdom and light of Ray in our lives. His eternal youth with his drive, positivity and relentless smile were both incredibly powerful and stirringly honest."
Current members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo went on to explain how Ray had followed them on tour around the world.
"From coast to coast and overseas too, Ray's beaming face would regularly greet us, offering warmth and anchor to our travels, and when it came to the entire Metallica family, band, crew and fans, he viewed us all as his own," they added.
Stating that Ray wouldn't want them to stay upset, they concluded: "So, in honour of him, and the kind of man he was, we also want to truly celebrate the 94 years of life Ray gave everyone, knowing in certainty that a glint of his light, wisdom, and energy will always be with us all wherever we go. We love you Ray, rest in peace."
