Ray Burton je umrl 15. januarja, le dva tedna preden bi dopolnil 95 let. To je medijem sporočila njegova hčerka Connie. Ray je bil oče legendarnega basista Cliffa Burtona (Metallica), ki je umrl 27. septembra 1986 v tragični nesreči na švedskem star komaj 24 let.
Te besede je James Hetfield napisal o Ray Burtonu:
“Mr. Ray Burton is a hero of mine
In earthly form, his end of the line
He weathered many a difficult storm
A strong compass
true and gracefully worn
To his last breath, I’ve not met a more positive man
And to his son there was not a more loyal fan
So he leaves the material world to be with his sons and wife
I feel so very blessed to have had him grace my life
In earthly form, his end of the line
Mr. Ray Burton is a hero of mine”
