Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (December 1, 1951–September 21, 1987) was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged for his skills as an electric bass player. His playing style was noteworthy for containing intricate solos in the higher register. His innovations also included the use of harmonics and the "singing" quality of his melodies on fretless bass. Pastorius suffered from mental illness and substance abuse, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. He died in 1987 at age 35 following a violent altercation at a Fort Lauderdale drinking establishment. Jaco was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only four bassists to be so honored. He is regarded as one of the most influential bass players of all time.

Jaco Pastorius and Bipolar Disorder

Jaco suffered from Bipolar disorder, otherwise known as 'manic depression'.[15] This condition, along with alcohol abuse, resulted in a deterioration in his health from the early 1980s that severely restricted his ability to function as a musician and in society more generally.

Jaco showed numerous symptoms of the illness long before his initial diagnosis, although they were insufficiently extreme to have been recognised at the time as mental illness, being regarded instead as eccentricities or character flaws. The illness in its earlier stages is likely to have contributed to his success as a musician. Hypomania, the cyclic peaks in mood that distinguish Bipolar disorder from unipolar depression, has long been associated with enhanced creativity. It was recognized (retrospectively) by friends and family that these peaks played an essential role in Jaco's urge to create music.

In his early career, Jaco avoided both alcohol and drugs, but he became increasingly involved in alcohol and other substance abuses during his time with Weather Report. Bipolar disorder and psychoactive substance abuse disorders have a highly prevalent comorbidity, with a mutually detrimental inter-relationship. Alcohol abuse ultimately exacerbated Jaco's illness, leading to increasingly erratic and sometimes anti-social behavior.

He was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in late 1982 following the Word of Mouth tour of Japan in which his erratic behavior became an increasing source of concern for his band members. Drummer Peter Erskine's father, Dr Fred Erskine, suggested that Jaco was showing signs of the illness and, on his return from the tour, Jaco's wife, Ingrid, had Jaco committed to hospital under the Florida Mental Health Act, where he received the diagnosis and was prescribed lithium to stabilize his moods.

By 1986, Jaco's health had further deteriorated. He had been evicted from his New York apartment and had begun living on the streets. In July 1986, following intervention by his brother Gregory and ex-wife Ingrid, Jaco was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in New York, where he was prescribed Tegretol in preference to Lithium. He moved back to Fort Lauderdale in December of that year, again living on the streets for weeks at a time.

After sneaking onstage at a Carlos Santana concert September 11, 1987, he was ejected from the premises, and he made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida.[24] After reportedly kicking in a glass door after being refused entrance to the club, he was engaged in a violent confrontation with the club bouncer, Luc Havan. Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and damage to his right eye and right arm, and had sustained irreversible brain damage.[citation needed] He fell into a coma and was put on life support.

There were initially encouraging signs that he would come out of his coma and recover, but a massive brain hemorrhage a few days later pointed to brain death. Pastorius died on September 21, 1987, aged 35, at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

In the wake of Pastorius' death, Havan, a karate expert, was charged with manslaughter but later pled guilty to second degree murder. Because of having no priors and with time served while waiting for the verdict, he was sentenced to 22 months in jail and five years probation. He was released after four months in jail for good behavior. Pastorius was buried at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery in North Lauderdale.

Jaco Pastorius. (2009, October 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 00:38, October 22, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jaco_Pastorius&oldid=319952230

The SAT Scores of Famous People | The IQs of Famous People | Famous People With Bipolar Disorder

Known Around The World As The Online IQ Test for Kids!

Copyright (C) 2009 Kids IQ Test Center