Posted by Jim Harrington

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/07/27/sv-chat-former-bay-area-dj-is-now-working-for-metallica/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12109785

Many music fans remember Renee Richardson for her two-decade-plus career on the Bay Area radio waves, which included a 17-year run on the late, great KFOG station.

Since 2019, however, Richardson has been working with another legendary Bay Area institution — Metallica.

She’s the director of philanthropy for the heavy metal outfit’s All Within My Hands Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that was created by the four band members — drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, bassist Robert Trujillo and vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield – in 2017.

I recently had the chance to catch up with the Richardson, who currently resides in Pawley Island, South Carolina but was back home in the Bay Area to catch Metallica perform two nights at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara earlier this summer.

Q. What’s the mission of All Within My Hands?

A. All Within My Hands (AWMH) was established in 2017 by the members and management of Metallica and is dedicated to creating sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

That’s the official mission statement. We also like people to know that Metallica created the foundation to give back to the communities that have supported the band throughout the years. Another fun fact that we feel important for folks to know is that Metallica covers all administrative costs for the foundation. When people give a financial gift to AWMH, 100 percent goes to the nonprofit organizations we support.

Q. Tell me about your job at the foundation.

A. My fancy title is director of philanthropy. My role is diverse; I am more like a development director. I help cultivate new partnerships while maintaining strong relationships with the donors who support our work.

I am fortunate to work closely with our executive director Pete Delgrosso. His is a volunteer position by the way — but you wouldn’t know it by his passion and the amount of work he puts in.

Our goal is to execute the vision for the foundation that the band members and the management team have set forth. We also help guide grant-making to ensure we stay within the intent of AWMH’s mission. Thankfully, we benefit from outstanding leadership in the band, management, our executive director emeritus, Dr. Ed Frank, and a tremendous and supportive board and advisory board.

Q. What’s it like working with the biggest metal band on the planet?

A. I mean, right? It’s pretty mind-blowing at times, but at other times it feels routine and mundane. While my bosses are a force, most certainly, they are also four incredibly thoughtful and well-intended humans who have very high expectations.

Q. How involved are the actual band members in the organization?

A. These guys are more involved than most people might think. They are one of the biggest bands in the world, so they are kinda busy, but they have a major voice in everything the foundation does. They want details on our initiatives and our progress, and spend time directly interacting with our Metallica Scholars and the schools on Zoom calls and in person. I remember my first board meeting; I had not expected purposeful input and insightful questions from the band members. I kept thinking, “How can they be so engaged with this when they have eight million other things going on?” It comes down to the kind of people they are and the team they’ve built and, thankfully, we all know to come prepared.

Q. What are some of the AWMH events that you’re most proud of?

A. I am proud of everything we do, because we are having a significant impact. Plus, everyone works so hard for the foundation. From the road crew to the digital team — it’s incredible.

I have had the privilege of working on the biannual Helping Hands Concert and Auctions. These are amazing events because we all get to work on them together, from the show planning to the sponsor engagement, and the auction to the honorees. It’s a labor of love where the fans get quite a show, while the fundraising is mind-blowing!

Then there’s the volunteer activations. With Metallica on the road with its M72 World Tour, we try to create a volunteer event at each tour stop because the fans want to give back.

Those events have a lot of meaning because we roll up our sleeves and work side by side at a local food bank, and we walk away knowing we did a good thing for people who need help in the city in which we all came together for the mighty Metallica.

Then there’s the Metallica Scholars Initiative, a very special part of what we do all year. This project is helping to support trades-people across the country, shining a light on the great careers essential to our everyday lives. We are truly celebrating the level of skill and perseverance it takes to provide for your family, and we tell these stories via our social channels through #MetallicaScholarsMonday. We want our donors to see the outcome of their donations. That’s the other thing I think we are all super proud of — our storytelling. The AWMH communications led by Amanda Jones have helped find new AWMH converts.

Q. And you’ve got some news to share about the Metallica Scholars Initiative, right?

A. Yes. Super exciting. We just announced Year 7 of the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). In a six short years, we went from 10 community colleges and $1M invested in helping 700-plus students to our largest grant to date — $3 million.

This fall, we will bring the program into 75 schools and it is expected that, in total, 10,000 students of all ages will receive financial support. This is all happening through our partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges.

Q. Where do see opportunities for AWMH to grow in the years to come?

A. I am going to quote Lars (Ulrich) on this one: “We are just getting started!” We see opportunities around every corner. Clearly, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is showing the most return on our investment because we are able to glean data from the schools about job placement and success rates. We are eager to continue to grow the program and hopefully to bring this model to other countries.

Bringing support for the skilled trades abroad is on the list. As an internationally touring band, we definitely want to extend the foundation’s reach beyond the U.S.

The other growth area is in our partnerships. Over the years, we’ve worked on MSI with excellent partners like Carhartt, Lowe’s Foundation, Upstaging Lighting & Transportation, and Wolverine Boots and Apparel. We have had unwavering general support from our friends at ESP Guitars, Live Nation, locals Another Planet and Meyer Sound, plus too many incredible individuals to mention. So, partnership growth is definitely top of mind.

And, finally, volunteer opportunities. I’d like to personally turn every metal head into a do-gooder — many of them already are. But I want the world to see and share in it. Our recent partnership with the American Red Cross was a pretty incredible indication of the power of this community. Metallica Fans who gave blood while enjoying the M72 World Tour far exceeded Red Cross donation goals in every city along the way — pretty (expletive) epic!

Q. Locals certainly remember you from your time on KFOG and, before that, Live 105. How did you go from working the airwaves to working for Metallica?

A. Yeah, good times — Renee Rotten on Live 105 for a few years in the mid-’90s before I landed the highly coveted position to join the KFOG Morning Show with Dave Morey, Peter Finch, and Irish Greg McQuaid as Renee Richardson.

I spent 20-plus years on the airwaves in the S.F. Bay Area — I was also a traffic reporter on a bunch of stations, before our phones could do the job.

As a familiar voice on local radio, I often used my skills to support local nonprofit organizations. I would volunteer my time to emcee or play auctioneer for a fundraiser; it was a hobby at first. Then, as the radio business was getting gross and greedy, I joined the board of trustees for Blue Bear School of Music. The executive director, Steve Savage, along with the board chair at the time, Maria Cardamone, saw something of a development director in me. They took a chance on me and hired me at Blue Bear, where I was on a fast track to learn everything I could about helping to run a 501(c)(3).

My nonprofit education was happening at the same time Metallica was forming its foundation. I’ve had a relationship with a few folks on the team over the years, just by being in the S.F. Bay Area music business, and when Vickie Strate let me know it looked like AWMH was going to be doing big things, I wanted in.

Q) What are some of the favorite Bay Area radio memories?

A) Let’s say it together — KaBoom! Nothing will top the years when KFOG put on a free annual concert and fireworks show for everyone in the S.F. Bay Area to enjoy. Those were some good times. The 10@10 was also pretty special. I had the good fortune of hosting it for a hot minute, and my radio sister Annalisa carried the torch beautifully for a spell, but hands down, the Dave Morey days were legendary.

Q) Besides Metallica, who are some of your all-time favorite artists?

A) Ooof, I like a lot of artists … David Bowie to the Beastie Boys, Green Day to the Grateful Dead, The Replacements to Pearl Jam, Joan Jett and Janis Joplin … . I didn’t think I was a Limp Bizkit fan until their recent run with Metallica. Fred Durst is an incredible performer. My current playlist has a lot of Body Count, Faith No More, and Rage Against the Machine.

I should probably also mention all those years in radio have brought me full circle because I have the honor of co-hosting the official Metallica podcast, “The Metallica Report,” with Steffan Chirazi. It’s the cherry on top of a really rewarding work-life.

Q. How did you end up in Pawley Island, South Carolina?

A. We left the Bay Area to take care of my dad when my mom died in 2020 from cancer. We don’t particularly feel at home here as I’m originally from New York and my hubby is from Boston. The Bay Area is truly our home and we look forward to coming back!

RENEE RICHARDSON

Title: Director of Philanthropy for Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands.

Previous occupations: Development Director for Blue Bear School of Music, on-air radio host at KFOG (formerly located on your radio dial at 104.5 FM)

Residence: Pawleys Island, South Carolina – But she says she left her heart in Fairfax, CA

Hometown: Rockland County, N.Y.

Family: Husband Mike and 21-year-old chihuahua/terrier Rocco keep her sane. She says her 87-year-old father, whom they live with and care for, has the opposite effect (adding a “LOL”).

Renee Richardson 5 Things

Renee has seen great heights in SF. “The most thrilling was rappelling 46 floors off the Hilton San Francisco Union Square to support Outward Bound California. It was the biggest jolt of adrenaline I have ever felt, and I quickly overcame my fears. But I also raced to the bottom. I wish I had taken more time to take in the view.”

She finds joy in swimming. “Any day that affords me a free hour, you will find me in the pool. I discovered that swimming helps me problem solve, destress, and meditate. I am not fast, but I am consistent.”

She shipped her Vespa to South Carolina when she moved from the Bay Area. “For over 10 years, my mode of transportation in the Bay Area was my Vespa. I usually drove with a pink boa wrapped around the luggage rack so people would see me … but also forgive me for my shenanigans. I decided to ship it to South Carolina, and it’s been great having it to get around — though the bug situation in the south is no joke. We don’t ride at dusk.”

One of the nicest people on the planet is Wolverine. “Hugh Jackman stopped by KFOG once when I was hosting the morning show, I think everyone was on vacation, and I came to work with laryngitis. As I remember it, he said he was glad to learn that I didn’t look how I sounded.”

If not this, bartending. “Some of my favorite memories come from my short time bartending at the Armadillo on Fillmore. I think it’s a cafe now, but working there in the mid-90s-early 2000s introduced me to some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.”

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/07/27/sv-chat-former-bay-area-dj-is-now-working-for-metallica/

https://www.mercurynews.com/?p=12109785