For awhile now, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has been honoring healthcare workers on the frontlines of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic with a recurring segment titled #HealthCareHero. Yesterday (June 10th), the spotlight fell on Tracey Bednar, a Long Island, NY, pediatric nurse who also happens to be a diehard Metallica fan who blasts the band’s Nineties smash “Enter Sandman” in her car when she drives home from work each day. So you can imagine her surprise and joy when none other than the group’s own drummer Lars Ulrich appeared to thank her for her life-saving efforts.
“As a father of three, I can’t thank you enough for what you do,” Ulrich told the nurse. “I’ve been sitting here listening in for the last couple of minutes. All of us out here in San Francisco, my family and everywhere are so grateful for what you do. And thank you for having Metallica be a part of your life and your ride home.”
As for how he feels hearing that an ICU pediatric nurse unwinds to his band’s music every day, Ulrich said, “It’s just so amazing to hear the different ways that music and Metallica connect with people. And we’ve been doing this coming up on 40 years. Shhh, don’t tell anybody it’s been that long. It’s just so amazing to continuously hear how we can make a little bit of a difference in people’s lives.”
Making the surprise even cooler for Bednar, Ulrich gifted her with VIP tickets to a future Metallica show plus a copy of the thrash pioneers’ upcoming album, S&M2, signed by all of the band members. Watch the heartwarming clip below.
