Jaco Pastorius, who once earned a reputation as the finest jazz bass player in the world, is comatose in Broward General Medical Center, a victim of a serious beating.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 12, Pastorius, 35, who had been living on the streets without a home, tried to enter the Midnight Bottle Club, a private nightclub in Wilton Manors. When he was refused, he began angrily kicking the door.

The club's manager, Luke Havan, came outside and allegedly beat up Pastorius, police said.

The left side of Pastorius' body shows little sign of movement, hospital officials said. His eyes are swollen shut, his lip is split and it is unknown whether he will suffer permanent impairment when and if he awakens.

Pastorius, who began his career in Fort Lauderdale nightclubs in the early 1970s, went on to receive three Grammy nominations, tour the world and record with the likes of Blood, Sweat and Tears, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report.

"He was an absolute trend-setter with the electric bass," said band leader Peter Graves. "Everybody sounds like what Jaco did."

In 1984, however, Pastorius was diagnosed as a manic-depressive and that his creative intensity was fueled by cyclic peaks in his brain activity. The disorder was aggravated by alcoholism, the doctor said.

John Francis Pastorius III was born Dec. 1, 1951, in Pennsylvania. His family, who nicknamed him Jocko, moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1959.

After graduating from high school in 1969, Pastorius began appearing in nightclubs around south Florida with such bands as Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders and the Peter Graves Orchestra. He later changed the spelling of his name to Jaco for unknown reasons, his family said.

In 1976, Pastorius began touring with Blood, Sweat and Tears and later recorded with Joni Mitchell. He also released an album of his own, titled "Jaco Pastorius," which contained original compositions.

After two Grammy nominations and tours with jazz keyboard player Herbie Hancock, Pastorius joined the jazz fusion group Weather Report. He was nominated for a third Grammy for his work with the group, and was named 1981's musician of the year in Japan.

Friends said Pastorius eschewed liquor in the early stages of his career but began drinking after joining Weather Report. He complained about his touring schedule and those who tried to interview the musician found him volatile and moody.

In 1982, Pastorius pleaded guilty to resisting a police officer with violence in Pompano Beach after an alleged argument with his wife. He was sentenced to two years probation but violated it by riding naked on the hood of a pickup while drunk.