A session bassist, he has played bass for a number of acts such as the Who,[1] the John Mayer Trio, Gary Numan, Paul Young, Don Henley, David Gilmour, Go West, Tears for Fears, Nine Inch Nails, Jeff Beck, Adele and D'Angelo.
[2] The son of a Welsh mother and Italian father (from Campobasso),[3] Giuseppe Henry Palladino[4] was born in Cardiff on 17 October 1957.
He cites as early influences James Jamerson, Danny Thompson, and Norman Watt-Roy and also admires Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clarke, Bootsy Collins, Larry Graham, Michael Henderson, Anthony Jackson, Marcus Miller, and Rocco Prestia.
In 1989 he participating in the recording of Ryuichi Sakamoto's album Beauty,[8][9] and was part of the lineup who played with the Japanese musician at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1991.
[12] Also in the late 1990s, Palladino and the neo-soul artist D'Angelo developed a connection over their mutual love of Motown and other classic soul music.
He played with the Who at the Super Bowl XLIV half-time show in 2010 with Simon Townshend on guitar, Zak Starkey on drums, and John "Rabbit" Bundrick on keyboards.
Jordan credits Palladino's apparent ability to "feel" changes in music, through melodies, basslines, and an embrace of genres of nearly every kind.
In March and April 2006, Palladino toured with Jeff Beck and played with J. J. Cale, and Eric Clapton on their 2006 album The Road to Escondido.
[18] In 2024, he appeared on II Most Wanted, the third single off of Beyoncé's album, Cowboy Carter, additionally featuring Miley Cyrus.
He used his 1963 Sunburst Fender Precision on Voodoo, using heavy gauge LaBella strings (tuned down to DGCF), a foam mute, and an Ampeg B-15 amplifier.
[20] In 1992, Pino married Marilyn "Maz" Roberts, a member of Paul Young's vocal group, the Fabulous Wealthy Tarts.