Following a question on X about the origin of Metallica’s name, the band’s former bassist Ron McGovney alleged that Lars Ulrich sort of appropriated it from someone else.
When a user asked him about their initial reactions and thoughts when introduced to the name ‘Metallica’ as a potential option, the musician replied:
“I thought it was a good name, even though Lars heard it from someone else and kinda stole it.”
In a previous question to the bassist, another user wanted to learn if the person Ulrich allegedly took the name ‘Metallica’ had a fanzine or publication and, if so, what name they eventually chose. McGovney said in his response:
“Metal Mania… Ron Quintana is his name.”
A follow-up post again asked Ron whether it was true that Ulrich had a Mötley Crüe t-shirt in 1981, and he sent it to his friend in Denmark with a message suggesting that Mötley Crüe was a new band he thought his friend would love. He explained:
“I doubt the story. I was the one who followed Mötley Crüe in the clubs. I got James to go with me to a couple of shows, but not Lars. If he sent anything, it was probably James’s stuff because he and I joined the fan club.”
During a 2017 interview with NPR, the Metallica drummer also responded to a question about the origin or inspiration behind the choice of the name ‘Metallica’ for the band. Ulrich noted, confirming the story McGovney told:
“Well, I came up here actually in the spring of 1981 and ended up at a kegger over on Strawberry Hill. And I met a bunch of really cool San Francisco kids. One of them was named Ron. And he told me he wanted to start his own fanzine, like a hard rock fanzine, where he wrote about all his favorite bands. And he wanted – he asked me whether he should call the fanzine Metallica or Metal Mania. So I suggested that he call it Metal Mania.”
You can see the posts below.
I thought it was a good name, even though Lars heard it from someone else and kinda stole it.
— Ron McGovney (@RonMcGovney) September 10, 2023
Metal Mania….Ron Quintana is his name.
— Ron McGovney (@RonMcGovney) September 7, 2023
I doubt the story. I was the one who followed Motley Crue in the clubs. I got James to go with me to a couple of shows but not Lars. If he sent anything, it was probably James's stuff because he and I joined the fan club.
— Ron McGovney (@RonMcGovney) September 11, 2023
