Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the bassist of heavy metal band Metallica from 1986 to 2001. He performed with thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam for the first five years of his career before joining Metallica in October 1986 to succeed Cliff Burton, who died the month prior. Newsted performed on the albums ...And Justice for All (1988), Metallica (1991), Load (1996), Reload (1997) and Garage Inc. (1998). He left the group in January 2001. After leaving Metallica, Newsted was a member of metal bands Echobrain and Voivod, using the pseudonym Jasonic for the latter, and toured with Ozzy Osbourne. Since 2012, he fronts heavy metal band Newsted. Newsted was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Metallica in 2009.