Hetfield received a special induction for attending Downey High in Downey, California during his freshman and sophomore years, an era of great personal difficulties for a young man at the centre of a family torn apart. "I'm here to talk about the tough times that I made it through," said James. "My father left when I was 13 and my mother passed away when I was 16. I didn't get to finish high school here, which was very unfortunate, 'cause I did have a lot of friends here, and I ended up moving to a new school and having to live with my older brother.