Jeff Porcaro
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| Jeff Porcaro | |
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 Jeff Porcaro
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jeffery Thomas Porcaro |
| Born | April 1, 1954 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | August 5, 1992 (aged 38) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer, session musician |
| Instrument(s) | Percussion |
| Years active | 1970s–1992 |
| Associated acts | Toto, Bee Gees, Sonny and Cher, Paul McCartney, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, Bonnie Raitt, Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Boz Scaggs, Michael Jackson, Roger Waters, Paul Anka, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, Earth, Wind & Fire, Burton Cummings, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, and many more. |
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.
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[edit] Biography
Jeff was born on April 1, 1954, in Hartford, Connecticut, the eldest son of a Los Angeles session percussionist Joe Porcaro. His brothers Steve Porcaro and Mike Porcaro are both still active session musicians.
[edit] Personal Life
On October 22, 1983, Jeff married Susan Norris, a Los Angeles television newscaster. They had three sons, Christopher Joseph (born July 3, 1984), Miles Edwin Crawford (born June 12, 1986), and Nico Hendrix (born December 26, 1991).
[edit] Career
Jeff began playing at the age of seven. Lessons came from his father Joe Porcaro, followed by further studies with Bob Zimmitti and Rich Lapore. From the start of his career, Jeff 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]
As a teenager, Jeff was no stranger to the L.A. music scene. When he was just seventeen, Jeff got his first professional gig playing in Sonny and Cher's touring band. During his 20's, he played on hundreds of albums, including several for Steely Dan. He toured with Boz Scaggs, before co-founding Toto with childhood friends Steve Lukather and David Paich.
Jeff is thought of today as one of the most innovative drummers of his generation[citation needed], and an example to other musicians who seek to absorb and blend a wide array of musical styles. Besides his work with Toto, he also performed as a session musician with artists such as Paul McCartney, Willy DeVille, Jackson Browne, Donald Fagen, Ricki Lee Jones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Paul Anka, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Bruce Springsteen, and Larry Carlton.
Richard Marx dedicated the song "One Man" to him and said Jeff was the best drummer he had ever worked with.
[edit] Death
Jeff Porcaro suffered a fatal heart attack on August 5, 1992, at the age of 38. His death has been the subject of controversy: some sources say the attack was caused by an allergic reaction to garden pesticide, while others say Porcaro's heart was weakened by smoking and cocaine use. An autopsy revealed a serious heart condition that had been previously undiagnosed.
Jeff's funeral, attended by an estimated 1,500 people,[who?] 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 Jeff 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, Eddie Van Halen and the members of Toto. The proceeds of the concert were used to establish an educational trust fund for Jeff's sons.
[edit] External links
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