Jeff Porcaro Net Worth

What Was Jeff Porcaro's Net Worth?

Jeff Porcaro was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer who had a net worth equal to $5 million at the time of his death in 1992. Jeff Porcaro was a member of the rock band Toto and was also one of the most recorded sessions musicians of all time, playing on hundreds of albums and recording thousands of sessions. He was an established studio musician in the 1970s and then was the drummer for the Steely Dan album "Katy Lied." After he passed away, he was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

Porcaro was an original member of the band Toto when they formed in 1977. Their self-titled debut studio album reached #1 in Finland and #9 in the U.S. Their most successful album, 1982's "Toto IV," was certified Platinum or higher in seven countries and won several Grammy Awards. The band's single "Africa" reached #1 in the U.S. Toto has sold over 35 million albums and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. Jeff's brothers, Mike and Steve Porcaro, have also been part of Toto as a bassist and keyboardist, respectively. Their father was jazz drummer and percussionist Joe Porcaro. Jeff Porcaro passed away in August 1992 at 38 years old from a heart attack.

Early Life

Jeff Porcaro was born Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro on May 29, 1955, in South Windsor, Connecticut. He was the son of jazz drummer Joe Porcaro, who taught Jeff and his brothers, Steve and Mike, how to play drums each weekend at his drum shop. Jeff stuck with the drums, but Steve eventually switched to piano, and Mike began playing bass. Porcaro had Italian ancestry, and after the family moved to Los Angeles, he grew up in the San Fernando Valley, where he attended Ulysses S. Grant High School.

Career

Porcaro began drumming professionally at the age of 17 when he joined Sonny & Cher's touring band. He went on to play drums on hundreds of albums, and he toured with Boz Scaggs before he co-founded Toto with his brother Steve Porcaro and his childhood friends David Paich and Steve Lukather. His brother Mike joined the band in 1982. Jeff was renowned among his fellow drummers for the drum pattern he used on the Toto hit "Rosanna," which won three Grammys and reached the top 10 in six countries. He described his famous drum pattern in a "Star Licks" video that he created shortly after the song became popular. As a session musician, Porcaro worked with artists such as Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis, Joe Cocker, Richard Marx, Donald Fagen, Christopher Cross, Stan Getz, Elton John, Al Jarreau, Pink Floyd, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan, and Donna Summer. He played on four tracks on Michael Jackson's 1982 album "Thriller" as well as on the hit single "Heal the World" from the 1991 "Dangerous" album. Jeff also played on the 1992 10cc album "Meanwhile," and on the 1993 album "Alive," the band dedicated the song "The Stars Didn't Show" to him. Richard Marx said that Porcaro was the greatest drummer he had worked with and dedicated his song "One Man" to Jeff.

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Personal Life and Death

Jeff married KABC-TV broadcaster Susan Norris on October 22, 1983. The couple welcomed sons Christopher (born 1984), Miles (born 1986), and Nico (born 1991) together. On August 5, 1992, Porcaro died at the age of 38 after he became ill while he was spraying insecticide in his yard in Hidden Hills. It was initially believed that Jeff suffered a heart attack after accidentally inhaling pesticide and having an allergic reaction. However, Susan and Porcaro's bandmate Steve Lukather both stated that they thought Jeff had been suffering from a longtime heart condition that was exacerbated by heavy smoking. The Los Angeles County coroner's office eventually ruled that Porcaro died of "occlusive coronary artery disease caused by hardening of the arteries because of cocaine use." Jeff was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, and his tombstone was inscribed, "Our love doesn't end here; it lives forever on the Wings of Time." The epitaph comes from the Kingdom of Desire song "Wings of Time." Jeff's son Miles died in 2017 at the age of 31 and was buried next to his father.

Awards

Toto has earned 11 Grammy nominations. In 1979, they took home the prize for Producer of the Year. In 1983, they won for Album of the Year and Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical for "Toto IV" and Record of the Year, Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices, and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) for "Rosanna."

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