Jaco Pastorius

American bassist and composer from Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA.

Born: 1 December 1951 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA.
Died: 21 September 1987 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA (aged 35).

An influential American jazz musician, composer, big band leader and electric bass player; Jaco Pastorius was all of these and more at a young age. Best known for his work with Weather Report between 1976 and 1981, also working with the likes of Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, et al, along with his own solo projects.

He was quickly nicknamed by his parents "Jocko" (partially influenced by his love for sports as well as the umpire Jocko Conlan), which transformed into "Jaco" in the early 1970s when a French-born musician friend and neighbor, Alex Darqui, spelled it that way by mistake. He liked the alternate spelling, and kept it.

He was inducted into US jazz magazine Down Beat's "Jazz Hall Of Fame" in 1988, one of only seven bassists so honoured, and the only electric bass guitarist.

Father of Mary Pastorius, Johnny Pastorius (with his first wife Tracy) and Felix Pastorius (with his second wife Ingrid Pastorius); uncle of David Pastorius.