9 Famous Athletes Who Love Metal Music
Famous athletes tend to be quite open about their music tastes, especially these days. With social media and the internet more prevalent than ever, they can share the kind of music they like and their favorite artists. In that regard, metal music has had some representatives in the world of sports throughout the years, some of them even being among the best of their respective disciplines.
Furthermore, these famous athletes also show a wide variety of range as metal fans. This goes to show the nature of the genre and how it can reach a lot of people. Moreover, this also proves that the genre has a lot more exposure and fans than one may think in the mainstream, which is always nice to see in the long run.
1. Mauro Camoranesi
Born in Argentina but representing Italy, Mauro German Camoranesi was one of the best wingers in football during the 2000s. His combination of technique, athletic qualities, and consistency made him a key component for the national team and Italian giants Juventus. Moreover, he won the 2006 World Cup with Italy and multiple trophies with Juve, establishing his legacy as a top-class player.
There is also the fact that he is one of those famous athletes who loves metal music. During a 2019 interview with TyC Sports, the successful winger cited the likes of Motley Crue and Judas Priest as two bands he is a fan of. He also mentioned that he spent his first salary as a footballer on a couple of rock CDs, although he didn’t specify which.
Furthermore, TyC Sports used to allow the interviewee to select the music for the interview. Camoranesi chose songs from Rammstein and Judas Priest, which adds to this discussion.
2. Marc Colombo
Marc Colombo is not only one of the most famous athletes who love metal music. He actually had an interest in playing the music.
He was a very successful player in the NFL, playing offensive tackle for various teams such as the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins from 2002 to 2011. Colombo has also worked as an offensive coach in the years ever since.
Furthermore, he was also the lead singer of his own band, Free Reign. This is a small project he did in his free time with teammates of his who also love the music, such as Cory Procter and Leonard Davis. He has cited Metallica, especially guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, as his primary influence and claims to have seen more than twenty concerts of this band alone. Colombo has also cited the likes of Megadeth, Pantera, and Slayer as other influences of his.
3. David De Gea
Once regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in football in the 2010s, David De Gea‘s career has steadily decline. However, his love for metal music has always been present. He has mentioned in multiple interviews and on social media that he loves the genre, often citing bands like Slipknot, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold. He even got to introduce Avenged Sevenfold when they came to Manchester a few years ago and the Spaniard was still playing for Manchester United.
De Gea doesn’t usually step out of line to stop a goal, but he is quite vocal about his music preferences.
4. Sean Doolittle
The former MLB pitcher played for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Cincinnati Reds, and Seattle Mariners from 2012 to 2022. During his successful career, he mentioned time and time again that he was a big metal fan. Furthermore, he also has the element of having done a lot of interviews with metal websites, mentioning several of his influences.
“So I tried to make it like a crash course,” Doolittle said about his playlist to DC Heavy Metal in 2018. “Like an introduction to metal starting with Black Sabbath and Judas Priest in the late 70’s and early 80’s, kinda going through thrash and New Wave of British Heavy Metal and then being in Florida right now for spring training I had to make sure that I put Death on there. I kind of go through phases of different kinds of music that I listen to but Death and Obituary are two of my favorite death metal bands and I always come back to (them) so I had to make sure that Death had a spot on that playlist for sure.”
5. Mike Piazza
Very few famous athletes can boast of being a part of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Mike Piazza played from 1992 to 2007 in the MLB, becoming one of the best in his position. Furthermore, he has always been a notorious metalhead, constantly citing a lot of bands. He has cited the likes of Rush, Tool, Iron Maiden, and many more as some of his favorite groups.
There is also the fact that he participated in Black Label Society‘s 2000 album, “Stronger Than Death“. He is also godfather to Zakk Wylde‘s son, Hendrix. Very few athletes have been as vocal as he has when it comes to talking about metal.
6. Daniel Ricciardo
Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo is mostly known during his time at Formula 1, where he competed from 2011 to 2024. Nicknamed “the Honey Badger”, he also won eight Formula One Grands Prix during those fourteen seasons at the highest level of the sport. He is also one of those famous athletes who is a metalhead.
During a Parkway Drive show in 2021, the racing driver was seen among the audience and was allowed to be on stage with the rest of the band. He performed a little bit with them, showing the degree of passion he has for the genre.
7. Triple H
Triple H and metal go beyond just passion and love for the medium. Among famous athletes, he has always given the genre a lot of exposure. Just the fact he used Motorhead music for his entrance in three different periods of his career says a lot. However, he was also pushing the band’s leader, Lemmy Kilmister, to do more music, as evidenced throughout the years.
“During that time where (Lemmy Kilmister) was really sick, I saw him in L.A. and talked to him about doing some covers,” Triple H said in 2023 to the Not Sam Wrestling Podcast. “We sat in the back of the Staples Center and I asked, ‘What if we did this project together and we (the WWE) will promote it?’ He was really into it. We had a deal with the record label and started putting together a list of tracks.”
“One of the tracks I mentioned was (the Rolling Stones‘)’Sympathy for the Devil.’ He was like, ‘Ugh.’ He was a big Beatles guy. It was like, ‘Man, to me – that song with your voice on it, Lem – you’re the Devil.’ I talked him into it and it’s the first one he does. I suggested it: ‘David Bowie, ‘Heroes,’ you doing that song.’ And he’s like, ‘I am not singing about dolphins!’ I was like, ‘Lem! Rewrite the lyrics! Who cares?!’”
These two covers would prove to be two minor hits for Lemmy and Motorhead, so you can think Triple H for that.
8. Josh Barnett
“How many of these athletes have ever been to (Maryland) Deathfest? I’m going to guarantee you that’s a big fat zero besides myself.”
This is what martial artist Josh Barnett said to Fox Sports in 2014 and earned him street cred with the metal community. He has participated in the UFC, and has been a mixed martial artist, submission wrestler, professional wrestler, and color commentator. There is no denying that he has done a lot of things in his career and also knows his metal quite well.
In an interview with Metal Hammer in 2021, he cited albums from Iron Maiden, Amon Amarth, Sepultura, Bolt Thrower, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and more as some of the most important in his life. One can tell that the man knows what he is talking about.
“What a great, great album,” he said of “Master of Puppets” in the interview. “I’m sure ‘Master Of Puppets‘ finds its way onto many people’s lists, and with good reason – it is incredible. It takes you on a journey, it has these 8-minute-long songs that have this epic nature to them. But, also for me, the shirt that came from that tour, with the back print that says ‘Honesty is my only excuse’ and has all these broken skulls and bones on it, got handed down to me from this older kid that got me into metal in the first place and I was enthralled. I mean, I wore that thing until it was just dust, I just associated it with that time period and this album so much that I never wanted to take it off. I was obsessed.”
9. Sergio Ramos
This one is quite surprising if you’re a football fan. Sergio Ramos is one of the greatest defenders in the history of football. A Real Madrid legend, he led the Spanish giants to an endless amount of trophies while also scoring some key goals in finals. His character, football abilities, and talent to appear when it matters have made him borderline superhuman at times.
However, being on a list of famous athletes who love metal music is perhaps one of his most shocking traits. Indeed, Ramos is a known lover of rock and metal, having shown up in multiple concerts throughout the years. He has cited the likes of AC/DC, Motorhead, and Guns N’ Roses. In fact, there is a picture of him and his wife, Pilar Rubio, with Axl Rose after an AC/DC show a few years ago.
Speaking of his wife, Pilar Rubio herself is also a known metalhead. A famous actress in their native Spain, she even founded her own metal-based clothing line. Furthermore, she is the woman on the cover of Annihilator‘s 2013 album, “Feast“, so Ramos has a direct connection to actual recordings in the genre, albeit a small one.
