(Radio.com) It's been 31 years since Metallica bassist Cliff Burton passed away in a tour bus crash. And his 92-year-old father, Ray, remains dedicated to the band. He has followed them around on various dates of their current tour.
His presence is a meaningful tribute to Cliff, whose tragic death had a profound influence on his bandmates and the trajectory of the band we know today. On a Metallica podcast, Ray Burton recently described how he's kept Cliff's legacy alive, with the help of band royalties.
'From the royalties that I get, I give a scholarship to the high school he went to, the Castro Valley High School, for music," he said. 'I think Cliff probably would have done that with his money, because he was not against education by any means. He liked it very much."
At concerts, Ray poses for photos with members of Metallica, friend and fans--including Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo's 12-year-old son Ty, who recently filled in on bass on tour for Korn. See photos here.
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