Oakland Park may name park after Jaco Pastorius

Mayor Walls you are sending the WRONG message to people by glorifying a drug addict and felon. What, are you going to name parks after the drug dealers and burglars in Harlem-McBride, too? I am embarassed by your poor choice. So he had a talent and made a name for himself in more ways than one, but should he be memorialized as someone to look up to? My answer is, "No". This would be an embarassment for Oakland Park.

Never heard of him.

Jaco was a great bass player. The story didn't mention that he also worked with guitarist Pat Metheny who spent time here in South Florida, as well.

However, his addiction to drugs and his criminal lifestyle that led to his getting killed in a bar fight is no reason to honor him in this way.

A better tribute might be a scholarship fund for local music students to keep them in school and allow them to pursue that goal. Do any of those activists out there want to do some fund raising?

This is the best they can come up with? Doesn't say much about the kids coming out of Oakland Park.

he was the "cream" of the crop ( no pun intended ) give the bloke some dignity in death . jack bruce

What an embarassment wrote:

Mayor Walls you are sending the WRONG message to people by glorifying a drug addict and felon. What, are you going to name parks after the drug dealers and burglars in Harlem-McBride, too? I am embarassed by your poor choice. So he had a talent and made a name for himself in more ways than one, but should he be memorialized as someone to look up to? My answer is, "No". This would be an embarassment for Oakland Park.

"What an embarrassment " you are to our community.
Ever played an instrument? Ever took a crowd of a thousand head or more? 10,000? Ever made a recording that made platinum? This man was a legend the best in the league of jazz bassists. I guess cause Elvis was a drug addict he should be shunned also, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix. Your opinion is selfish and one sided. are you lacking attention? He had Bipolar. which was directly contributed to his demise. I know I was there the whole way.
His death was tragic a result of his invitation to play at "Midnight's bottle club" in Wilton Manors that night, he was on a come back, fighting addiction and regaining his name in the music industry. The over ego bar owners son didn't have a clue who he was, would not allow him in the place even though he had his bass on his shoulder and professed who he was. I know I was there. John "Jaco" Pastorius felt disrespected stood his ground and Luke the bar owners son came out side looked around to see if anyone was looking and then pounced on him with his known karate experience. Jaco fell to the ground hit his head and died. I know I was there in my car with two other witnesses whom contributed to a 17 year sentence for Mr. Luke. This is a great idea and should have a amphitheater for future performances of Jazz acts and tributes to all Jazz musicians. I sympathize with what led to his drug addiction, I do not think it's sending a wrong message, I believe in recovery, and I believe in cherishing the accomplishments of great musicians. Defender out!

Dixie highway in Oakland Park is no dignity.

Doug wrote:

Jaco was a great bass player. The story didn't mention that he also worked with guitarist Pat Metheny who spent time here in South Florida, as well.
However, his addiction to drugs and his criminal lifestyle that led to his getting killed in a bar fight is no reason to honor him in this way.
A better tribute might be a scholarship fund for local music students to keep them in school and allow them to pursue that goal. Do any of those activists out there want to do some fund raising?

What criminal activity, Broke into a abandoned building to get out of the cold. Drove a car around a running track? without a licence, stolen?
Kid's are resilient today, If you explain to them of his accomplishments and his downfalls as well as his comeback, they will surely understand. IE: Kurt Cobain, INXS etc... Yes I remember the times Jaco playing with Pat Metheny. Pat played at the Holiday Inn on Commercial Blvd and Powerline Road for a tribute when he died. I think there's more positive in the park than negative.

jack bruce wrote:

he was the "cream" of the crop ( no pun intended ) give the bloke some dignity in death . jack bruce

Not the true Jack Bruce?
BLT, Cream, etc... Welcome aboard. Preserve a legend.

DEFENDER wrote:

<quoted text>
"What an embarrassment " you are to our community.
Ever played an instrument? Ever took a crowd of a thousand head or more? 10,000? Ever made a recording that made platinum? This man was a legend the best in the league of jazz bassists. I guess cause Elvis was a drug addict he should be shunned also, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix. Your opinion is selfish and one sided. are you lacking attention? He had Bipolar. which was directly contributed to his demise. I know I was there the whole way.
His death was tragic a result of his invitation to play at "Midnight's bottle club" in Wilton Manors that night, he was on a come back, fighting addiction and regaining his name in the music industry. The over ego bar owners son didn't have a clue who he was, would not allow him in the place even though he had his bass on his shoulder and professed who he was. I know I was there. John "Jaco" Pastorius felt disrespected stood his ground and Luke the bar owners son came out side looked around to see if anyone was looking and then pounced on him with his known karate experience. Jaco fell to the ground hit his head and died. I know I was there in my car with two other witnesses whom contributed to a 17 year sentence for Mr. Luke. This is a great idea and should have a amphitheater for future performances of Jazz acts and tributes to all Jazz musicians. I sympathize with what led to his drug addiction, I do not think it's sending a wrong message, I believe in recovery, and I believe in cherishing the accomplishments of great musicians. Defender out!

Why didn't you get out of the car and help Jaco while you had the chance? Why didn't you yell out to Luke that you were a witness and would tell the police everything you saw? As you keep saying that you were there like some sort of eternal testament. Rather you should have made an effort to help Jaco instead of sitting there like a mesmerized girl on her first date. Maybe you were just chicken. In any event, you have to live with it.

Elvis has left the city commission chambers. The park could include a
Jaco/Dallet-Walls needle exchange program. Work on our taxes.

hey , whatever happened to the 6' tall eurasian chick jaco dated ? she was a dancer at the old booby trap at sunrise & federal . legs up to her neck !

Bozo town is back. Walls picked a great person to name a park after. A drunken drug addict. And why not, thats all thats around that area are drunken drugged out bums and illegals.
Walls should go back to sleeping through city meetings.
Whats next the Roger Mann Performing Arts Center?

I thought they tried to name a park after him last year but there were some issues with the family members that control his estate, I don't think they agreed to it. So I wonder if the family dissention was laid to rest.

Yes he had a drug problem, he did some stupid things. We all do dumb things. But he really was a great bass player and more influential than he got credit for. It is only regrettable that he wasn't around long enough to evolve further and that people focus on the bad things about his life.

Trippyzippy wrote:

It is only regrettable that he wasn't around long enough to evolve further and that people focus on the bad things about his life.

No, it is only when someone wants to honor him with a city landmark that the bad things in his past comes up. As it should.
The question remains, is this the best the city can do. Is there nobody more deserving. This is an insult to the entire city.

bobby-g wrote:

<quoted text>Why didn't you get out of the car and help Jaco while you had the chance? Why didn't you yell out to Luke that you were a witness and would tell the police everything you saw? As you keep saying that you were there like some sort of eternal testament. Rather you should have made an effort to help Jaco instead of sitting there like a mesmerized girl on her first date. Maybe you were just chicken. In any event, you have to live with it.

Big Bobby G. Not that I have to defend myself of your inaccurate assessment of that night, but because I know the truth I will, By the time we got to Jaco's defense It was too late. It only took seconds for Luke to hit him and fall. Nothing else could of been done, In which we gave our statements to the PD the next morning. Got a problem with that. I can live with myself easy I did my share to help convict Luke for manslaughter. Are you done spouting off with your unfounded statements, or do you want to carry on. You assume and throw insults, falsely accuse me of something you have no clue about. I state the truth in defense of a loved brother in the music industry.

Come on wrote:

Bozo town is back. Walls picked a great person to name a park after. A drunken drug addict. And why not, thats all thats around that area are drunken drugged out bums and illegals.
Walls should go back to sleeping through city meetings.
Whats next the Roger Mann Performing Arts Center?

The only drunken drug addict your talking about is a man who suffered this problem for last three years of his life, The rest of his life was his world-renowned contribution to the jazz music industry. Ever heard of him? Know his music? Seen him play?
Then you'll never understand why he deserves this park named after him.
If you don't like it show up Wednesday night, go before the board and then talk your s h i t.
It' s so typical of those who's lives haven't accomplished anything remotely near the level Jaco's has in his short time, have the need to jump on anything they can to make themselves feel more worthy.
Why don't you have a seat on the board? Play music for thousand's of praising fans? Don't worry you need not to explain. I already did.

Once again I'll repeat myself. This is a great idea and if it has a amphitheater it would be perfect for future performances of musical acts and tributes to any and all musical groups.
Oakland park is doing whatever they can to improve this area, not like some residents there, sitting around casting blame, yelling at their paid lawn service guys, scratching their balls and drinking a beer.

Several of the below mentioned not only had bipolar disorder, but were in trouble with the law at some point in their lives. I would venture to guess that if one of these below accomplished individuals were from Oakland Park, the City might not hesitate naming anything after him or her.

Famous People with Bipolar Disorder

Much of this list was obtained from the Internet.
Actors & Actresses
Ned Beatty
Maurice Bernard, soap opera
Jeremy Brett
Jim Carey
Lisa Nicole Carson
Rosemary Clooney, singer
Lindsay Crosby
Eric Douglas
Robert Downey Jr.
Patty Duke
Carrie Fisher
Connie Francis, singer and actress
Shecky Greene, comedian
Linda Hamilton
Moss Hart, actor, director, playright
Mariette Hartley
Margot Kidder
Vivien Leigh
Kevin McDonald, comedian
Kristy McNichols
Burgess Meredith, actor, director
Spike Milligan, actor, writer
Spike Mulligan, comic actor and writer
Nicola Pagett
Ben Stiller, actor, director, writer
David Strickland
Lili Taylor
Tracy Ullman
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Robin Williams
Jonathon Winters, comedian
Artists
Alvin Alley, dancer, choreogapher
Ludwig Von Beethoven
Tim Burton, artist, director
Francis Ford Coppola, director
George Fredrick Handel, composer
Bill Lichtenstein, producer
Joshua Logan, broadway director, producer
Vincent Van Gogh, painter
Gustav Mahier, composer
Francesco Scavullo, artist, photographer
Robert Schumann, composer
Don Simpson, movie producer
Norman Wexler, screenwriter, playwright
Entrepreneurs
Robert Campeau
Pierre Peladeau
Heinz C. Prechter
Ted Turner, media giant
Financiers
John Mulheren
Murray Pezim
Miscellaneous
Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
Clifford Beers, humanitarian
Garnet Coleman, legislator (Texas)
Larry Flynt, publisher and activist
Kit Gingrich, Newt's mom
Phil Graham, owner of Washington Post
Peter Gregg, team owner and manager, race car driver
Susan Panico (Susan Dime-Meenan), business executive
Sol Wachtier, former New York State Chief Judge
Musicians
Ludwig van Beethoven, composer
Alohe Jean Burke, musician, vocalist
Rosemary Clooney, singer
DMX Earl Simmons, rapper and actor
Ray Davies
Lenny Dee
Gaetano Donizetti, opera singer
Peter Gabriel
Jimi Hendrix
Kristen Hersh (Throwing Muses)
Phyllis Hyman
Jack Irons
Daniel Johnston
Otto Klemperer, musician, conductor
Oscar Levant, pianist, composer, television
Phil Ochs, musician, political activist, poet
John Ogden, composer, musician
Jaco Pastorius
Charley Pride
Mac Rebennack (Dr. John)
Jeannie C. Riley
Alys Robi, vocalist in Canada
Axl Rose
Nick Traina
Del Shannon
Phil Spector, musician and producer
Sting, Gordon Sumner, musician, composer
Tom Waits, musician, composer
Brian Wilson, musician, composer, arranger
Townes Van Zandt, musician, composer
Poets
John Berryman
C.E. Chaffin, writer, poet
Hart Crane
Randall Jarrell
Jane Kenyon
Robert Lowell
Sylvia Plath
Robert Schumann
Delmore Schwartz
Political
Robert Boorstin, special assistant to President Clinton
L. Brent Bozell, political scientist, attorney, writer
Bob Bullock, ex secretary of state, state comptroller and lieutenant governer
Winston Churchill
Kitty Dukasis, former First Lady of Massachusetts
Thomas Eagleton, lawyer, former U.S. Senator
Lynne Rivers, U.S. Congress
Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States
Scholars
John Strugnell, biblical scholar
Scientists
Karl Paul Link, chemist
Dimitri Mihalas

Sports
Shelley Beattie, bodybuilding, sailing
John Daly, golf
Muffin Spencer-Devlin, pro golf
Ilie Nastase, tennis
Jimmy Piersail, baseball player, Boston Red Sox, sports announcer
Barret Robbins, football
Wyatt Sexton, football
Alonzo Spellman, football
Darryl Strawberry, baseball
Dimitrius Underwood, football
Luther Wright, basketball
Bert Yancey, athlete
TV & Radio
Dick Cavett
Jay Marvin, radio, writer
Jane Pauley
Writers
Louis Althusser, philosopher, writer
Honors de Balzac
Art Buchwald, writer, humorist
Neal Cassady
Patricia Cornwell
Margot Early
Kaye Gibbons
Johann Goethe
Graham Greene
Abbie Hoffman, writer, political activist
Kay Redfield Jamison, writer, psychologist
Peter Nolan Lawrence
Frances Lear, writer, editor, women's rights activist
Rika Lesser, writer, translator
Kate Millet
Robert Munsch
Margo Orum
Edgar Allen Poe
Theodore Roethke
Lori Schiller, writer, educator
Frances Sherwood
Scott Simmie, writer, journalist
August Strindberg
Mark Twain
Joseph Vasquez, writer, movie director
Mark Vonnegut, doctor, writer
Sol Wachtler, writer, judge
Mary Jane Ward
Virginia Woolf