Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963 in Battlecreek, Michigan) is a bassist currently a member of Voivod, but is probably best known as a former member of the heavy metal band Metallica.
Jason left his previous band, Flotsam and Jetsam and joined Metallica in 1986 after the death of bassist Cliff Burton. According to Metallica vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield, auditions for Cliff's replacement were held the day following his funeral, as their popularity was at an all time high, having just released Master of Puppets, an album which many in the metal community would say they have never equalled.
After confirming Jason as their new bassist, Metallica constructed a cheap studio in Hetfield's backyard, and as a way to break Jason (and the "new" Metallica) in, the band recorded Garage Days Re-Revisited. Jason also earned the nickname Jason Newkid among Metallica fans.
Shortly after this, the band recorded ...And Justice for All, Jason's official debut with Metallica. Due to his status as a brand new member, and his absence at the mixing sessions, the level of the bass on the album is noticeably low, practically absent.
Jason undertook a series of practical jokes and was hazed as a new member of the band. He felt that these 'jokes' never stopped, and were done on purpose to make him feel like less of a member of the band.
Over his 13 year tenure he was never accepted as an equal to his predecessor by the band.
He left Metallica in January 2001 citing "... the physical damage I've done to myself playing the music I love". He joined the Canadian metal band Voivod in 2002.
Newsted's claimed in the film "Some Kind of Monster", that he left Metallica because of James Hetfield's controlling desire to keep everyone in Metallica, and out of side projects (like Jason's Echobrain and IR8 projects). Jason also felt after 13 years, his bandmates still had not accepted him as an equal to his predecessor, Cliff Burton.
In 2003 Metallica picked Ozzy Osbourne's bass player Robert Trujillo as Newsted's replacement. In a bizzarre twist, Ozzy immediately choose Jason to replace Rob for Ozzfest 2003. Following the end of Ozzfest Jason left Ozzy's band to concentrate on his work with Voivod.
Discography
Last updated: 05-15-2005 21:57:56
