It's Official: METALLICA To Be Inducted Into ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

METALLICA is among the acts who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during an April 4 ceremony at Cleveland's Public Hall. Also scheduled to be named to the Hall are RUN-D.M.C., JEFF BECK, LITTLE ANTHONY AND THE IMPERIALS and BOBBY WOMACK.

The Pulse of Radio recently asked METALLICA frontman James Hetfield if the band has given any thought to who should induct them at the ceremony if they make the cut. "It's tough," he said. "We haven't really, you know, hit the ultimate person who we'd like to have do it. It's like you want someone who actually you've inspired, and you want someone who's charismatic, who can tell their story, but also you kind of want someone that people actually know who they are. You know, I was thinking, 'Well, why don't we just get, like, the über-fan, you know, go up there and induct us, you know. How cool would that be?'So we're still going back and forth with all of that."

Last fall, Hetfield spoke to Rolling Stone magazine about the band's nomination for induction into the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in its second year of eligibility. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Rolling Stone: Most likely, METALLICA will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame next April. Who will be onstage with you?

Hetfield: "Everyone that played on a record should be there. You're considered for the Hall 25 years after your first recording, not after you formed."

Rolling Stone: That would omit Dave Mustaine [former METALLICA guitarist and current MEGADETH mainman].

Hetfield: "He wasn't on a record. Jason Newsted [former METALLICA bassist] should be up there — he was in the band for 14 years and played on quite a few records. And so should Robert [Trujillo; current METALLICA bassist]."

Rolling Stone: Will it be weird to be there with Jason?

Hetfield: "There's no reason for it to be weird. We don't want to be part of the soap opera of the Hall of Fame. Everybody wants a train wreck, like with BLONDIE onstage arguing over crap [in 2006]. That really cheapens the moment."

METALLICA themselves inducted BLACK SABBATH into the Hall in 2006 and performed a medley of classic SABBATH tunes at the ceremony (see video below).

Nominees are eligible on the 25th anniversary of their debut release under their official name. METALLICA's debut album, "Kill 'Em All", came out in 1983.