Jason Newsted

Jason Newsted (born March 4, 1963 in Battle Creek, Michigan) is an American bassist best known as the former bassist of Metallica. Currently he is a member of Voivod and Rock Star Supernova. Newsted also goes by the pseudonym Jasonic, which serves as both his alias in Voivod and the name of his music publishing company. He is also founder of the Chophouse Records studio and label based in California. The early part of Newsted's music career had him performing bass for Flotsam and Jetsam and their 1986 album Doomsday for the Deceiver. Newsted wrote the majority of lyrics for the album as well. Following the death of Cliff Burton in September 1986, Metallica began a search for a new bassist. Newsted auditioned for the part along with roughly 40 other musicians, and in winning the role, his first live performance with Metallica was at the Country Club in Reseda, California. However, initiation into the grieving band did not come easy, as Newsted was often subject to pranks and ridicule... full article at wikipedia