30 years without the incredible Jeff Porcaro

OltreRock here, today I want to remember with you all one of the best drummers on earth, Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro, a genious we tragically lost on 5th August 1992.

Raised by bread and music, he was a son of Art (his father, Joe, was himself a great drummer and percussionist), commenced his path very soon , at 7 years old.

Soon he showed a very unique talent and by the age of 17 was playing official gigs with Cher, then with Boz Scaggs and Steely Dan, anyway he was well known and a kind of legend in school, in his own band “Rural Still Life” with his friend David Paich.

“He had this distinct aura about him. He would walk into the room with his glasses and a vest on and the whole place would light up. He was a rockstar before he was a rockstar“

Steve Lukather

In October 1977 Jeff, David Paich , Steve Lukather, Bobby Kimball, David Hungate and Steve Porcaro started to plan (and work on) ToTo’s first record and they continued together playing seven more studio album: Hydra in 1979, Turn Back in 1981, TOTO IV in 1982, Isolation in 1984, Farenheit in 1986, The Seventh One in 1988 and Kingdom of Desire in 1992.

Reference point for fans and musicians, his half time shuffle is an ageless jem, a milestone for anyone who dreams to be a drummer.

Listen to this pure treat in “Rosanna” (from TOTO IV, 1982) and try not to fall in love with the rythm if you can:

Jeff was only 38 when he died.

He left 3 little kids, a wife, lifelong friends and bandmates, his siblings and parents, fans from all over the world, astonished from the silence of his sudden, unexpected death.

We are today here remembering and loving his incredible talent and career and the great man he was.

Gone but never forgotten, honored to have your immortal Art in our lives, dear Jeff!

Marica_Oltrerock