Hi Jason! (How do you do?) I hope you are doing fine and you enjoy your new life. I'm Markus from Torgau (near Leipzig / Germany). I'm 23 year. I have been playing the bass guitar since the age of 14 - just as you do. You were the reason with your fantastic bass-lines and your marvellous feeling for rhythm. During the last years, I have seen almost every single concert of Metallica in Germany (e.g. Leipzig Oktober 23, 1996 and Berlin November 19, 1999). I have learnt a lot from you. When I read in a German music magazine in January 2001 that you were going to leave Metallica. I was upset: I thought I'd never see Jason Newsted again, my idol who had influenced my music so much. Then I heard from the Internet that you played in the project band "ECHOBRAIN" and that you were going to release a new album in August. What is the music like? I do hope that the album will be available in Germany, too, and that you'll be performing in Germany again one day in the future.

Concering myself, I play the bass guitar in a band called "SUNDUNE". Playing atmospheric rock, we have already won a numberof music contests in Germany. It's an incredible feeling, the people applauding for you - you see that they accept what you have produced. Anyway, I wish you all the best for the future and I hope that you'll remain the one that you are - are good friend.

P.S. How I can become a autograph of you?

See you Your the best

MARKUS from Germany

- markusobst1@compuserve.de
Apr, 2001