Jason Newsted Biography
In Brief.....
Jason Curtis Newsted
Born: March 4, 1963
From: Battle Creek, Michigan
Personal: divorced
Specialty: Making sure Metallica thumps harder than
ever
Plays: bass
Vitals: blue eyes, brown-red hair, 5'8"/1.75 meters tall,
weighs 150 lbs/68.04 kilos
Views from the members......
"He's always up for the show, no matter where or when it is."
- James
"Jason is very much a musician's musician." - Kirk
Biography......
Jason Newsted is the fourth person to play bass for Metallica.
After a successful and happy tenure with Cliff Burton, a tragic
accident took his life. The remaining members of Metallica felt
Cliff would have wished them to carry on.
So carry on they did, with the help of Jason Newsted. He was hand picked
by the band after a series of auditions of about 40 people that included
Troy Gregory, Willy Lange and Les laypool. Jason was suggested for a try-out to Lars by Brian Slagel.
Brian was a bit reluctant since Jason's current band, Flotsam &
Jetsam was signed to his Metal Blade Records.
Jason had some pretty big shoes to fill. Cliff Burton was always more
then just the bass player in Metallica. Jason was up to he task and has
definitely made his mark on Metallica.
Jason was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, and raised in Niles. At age
14, the Newsted clan packed up and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. There he
grew up within 5 miles of the Gibson Guitar Company.
His reasons for picking up bass began and ended with Kiss' Gene Simmons.
His roots of 'speed metal' could be traced back to playing his father's
player piano at faster than normal tempo. After an initial unsuccessful attempt at bass, he picked up the
instrument again a few years later when he received his first bass
guitar.
Jason saved up money for a better bass, then hooked up with local band
Gangster, which included guitar player Tim Hamlin. Hamlin became a
mentor and a teacher of sorts to the young aspiring bass player.
Suprisingly, Jason quit High School just 3 months shy of graduation, and
spent time away from home, living with the Gangster guys (He has since
received his GED, an does not recommend anyone quitting school).
In 1981, Jason and Hamlin left Michigan for California. They made it as
far as Phoenix, Arizona on Halloween, 1981. In Phoenix, Jason kept
himself busy with odd jobs including a stint at a Subway sandwich shop.
He and Hamlin drifted apart and Jason hooked up with drummer Kelly
David-Smith.
With David-Smith, Jason jammed for a while with Paradox, but that
amounted to little. Eventually he moved in with David-Smith in Scotsdale,
Arizona. There, the they dug up guitarists Mark Vasquez and Kevin
Horton. With Jason on bass, and often singing, the fledgling band dubbed
themselves Dogz. Horton was soon replaced by Ed Carlson, and this line
up played various gigs and recorded some demos.
In 1983, vocalist Erik A.K. joined Dogz, and shortly after they changed
the name to Flotsam & Jetsam. Jason acted as bass player, chief
songwriter, band manager, fan liason, and lyricist.
Flotsam & Jetsam got a spot on the same Metal Massacre compilation
that spawned Metallica's career a few years earlier, and the band was
soon signed with Metal Blade records. They released one album, Doomsday
For The Deceiver with Jason, and released another with songs written
with him. On Halloween night, 1986, Jason played his last gig with
Flotsam & Jetsam.
For his audition for Metallica, Newsted learned all of Cliff's parts,
but also added some things to show that he was his own person and a
capable bass player. The audition was stretched to the next day and
finally that evening at Tommy's Joint.. he was finally asked the big
question:
"Do you want a job?"
Jason's response? A yell that nearly scared off the other people in the
bar.
His quick ascent to Metallica, which was his favorite band, was not
easy. He went through a year of hazing and abuse which bordered on
ludicrous, absurd and amazing. But Newsted proved himself capable.
But Sadly to all Metallica fans Jason has left the band due to some
personal reasons. We'll miss u Jason.
