Clifford Lee Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist for the American band Metallica from December 1982 until his death in September 1986. Burton joined Metallica in 1982 and performed on the band's first three studio albums: Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. He also received a posthumous writing credit for the song "To Live Is to Die" from the band's fourth studio album, ...And Justice for All. On September 27, 1986, Burton died in a bus accident in Kronoberg County, a rural area of southern Sweden, as Metallica toured in support of the Master of Puppets album. He has been recognized as a very influential musician both during his career and after his death, placing ninth in a 2011 Rolling Stone magazine online reader poll recognizing the greatest bassists of all time. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica on April 4, 2009.