Jeff Porcaro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require copy-editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. (February 2008) |
| Jeff Porcaro | |
|---|---|
 Jeff Porcaro
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro |
| Born | April 1, 1954 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | August 5, 1992 (aged 38) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Rock, Contemporary Jazz, Funk, and similar |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer, session musician |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, Percussion |
| Years active | 1970s–1992 |
| Associated acts | Toto, Sonny and Cher, Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs |
Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was a highly regarded session drummer and a founding member of the Grammy Award winning band Toto. Porcaro was one of the most recorded drummers in history [1]. While already an established studio player in the 1970's, he shot to national prominence as the drummer on the Steely Dan album titled Katy Lied. His other studio credits include Beat It, I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near), Welcome Back, Dirty Laundry, I Love L.A., Forever Man, New York Minute, Heal The World, and many others. He is also famous for his performance on the song "Rosanna".
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
Porcaro was born on April 1, 1954, in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, the eldest son of Los Angeles session percussionist Joe Porcaro. His brothers Steve Porcaro and Mike Porcaro are both still active session musicians.
On October 22, 1983, Porcaro married Susan Norris, a Los Angeles television newscaster. They have three sons, Christopher Joseph (born July 3, 1984), Miles Edwin Crawford (born June 12, 1986), and Nico Hendrix (born December 26, 1991).
[edit] Death
Jeff Porcaro died of a heart attack on August 5, 1992, at the age of 38. He was spraying insecticide in his garden and inhaled too much of the spray, triggering the attack. An autopsy revealed a serious heart condition that had been previously undiagnosed.
Porcaro's funeral, attended by an estimated 1,500 people (friends, family, colleagues, fans), was held August 10 in the Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery, where he was buried. The Jeff Porcaro Memorial Fund was established to benefit the music and art departments of Grant High School in Los Angeles where he was a student in the early 1970s. A memorial concert took place at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles on December 14, 1992 with an all-star line up that included Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen, Don Henley, Michael McDonald, George Harrison, David Crosby, Eddie Van Halen and the members of Toto. The proceeds of the concert were used to establish an educational trust fund for Porcaro's sons.
[edit] Career
Porcaro began playing at the age of seven. Lessons came from his father Joe Porcaro, followed by further studies with Bob Zimmitti and Richie Lepore. From the start of his career, Porcaro was viewed as one of the music industry's top drummers, possessing an impeccable sense of rhythm as well as a versatility that bridged virtually every style.[citation needed]
When he was seventeen, Porcaro got his first professional gig playing in Sonny and Cher's touring band. During his 20s, he played on hundreds of albums[1], including several for Steely Dan. He toured with Boz Scaggs, before co-founding Toto with his brother Steve and childhood friends Steve Lukather and David Paich.
Besides his work with Toto, he also performed as a session musician with artists such as Paul McCartney, Willy DeVille, Jackson Browne, Donald Fagen, Rickie Lee Jones, Michael Jackson, Go West, Nik Kershaw, Love and Money, Paul Simon, Don Henley, Madonna, Airplay, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Manhattan Transfer, America, Peter Frampton, Bee Gees, Clair Marlo, Tom Scott, Michael McDonald, Amy Holland, Joe Cocker, Stan Getz, Sergio Mendez, Lee Rittenour, Cristopher Cross, James Newton-Howard, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, Jim Messina, Four Tops, Barbara Streisand, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Les Dudek, Warren Zevon, Bonnie Raitt, Dire Straits, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, Roger Hodgson; Paul Anka, Eric Carmen, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Tommy Bolin and Larry Carlton.
Richard Marx dedicated the song "One Man" to him and said Jeff was the best drummer he had ever worked with [2].
[edit] Discography
[edit] With Toto
- Toto (1978)
- Hydra (1979)
- Turn Back (1981)
- Toto IV (1982)
- Isolation (1984)
- Fahrenheit (1986)
- The Seventh One (1988)
- Kingdom of Desire (1992)
- Greatest Hits Live... And More ( DVD with "behind the scenes" and interviews)
[edit] Other Artists
Tommy Bolin - Teaser (1975)
Steely Dan - Katy Lied (1975)
Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees (1976)
Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy (1978) - "Nighttime in the Switching Yard"
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982) - 4 tracks
Elton John - "Jump Up!"
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly (1982)
Dire Straits - On Every Street (1991)
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch (1992)
Jeff played drums on the 10cc album Meanwhile in 1992. On the 10cc Alive album, recorded after his death, the band dedicated "The Night That The Stars Didn't Show" to him.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Toto website (Flash intro) - includes a section dedicated to Jeffrey: memories of Jeff, discography, drum patterns, equipment
- The French website exclusively dedicated to Jeffrey Porcaro
- Jeff Porcaro page at Drummerworld
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
