Eddie Vedder
Pearl Jam
Temple of the Dog
Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Seversen III on 23 December 1964) is the lead
singer and lyricist for the band Pearl Jam. He also plays guitar on several
Pearl Jam songs as well as other instruments, including the ukulele, the drums,
keytar, cowbell, and the harmonica.
In the 1980s, Vedder sang with several San Diego rock bands, most notably Bad
Radio, but rose to fame only after moving to Seattle in 1990 and joining Pearl
Jam. Yet Vedder's first appearance on a major label recording was not on Pearl
Jam's debut Ten, but as a backing vocalist on the Temple of the Dog album, a
tribute to late Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood that featured members of
both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
In addition to playing with Pearl Jam, Vedder has performed and recorded with
numerous well-known artists, including Bad Religion, Fastbacks, Neil Finn, Jack
Irons, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Cat Power, R.E.M., Supersuckers, Mike Watt,
Wellwater Conspiracy, Kings Of Leon, The Who, Bruce Springsteen, The Strokes,
Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Dave Matthews, U2 and Neil Young. On Pearl Jam
records he uses the pseudonym "Jerome Turner" for his non-musical (usually
design and artwork) functions. He has also sometimes used the pseudonym of "Wes
C. Addle" ("West Seattle").
In the mid-1970s, the family, including Eddie's three younger half-brothers,
moved to San Diego County, California. It was at this point that Eddie, who had
received a guitar from his mother on his 12th birthday, began turning to music
as a source of comfort. Eddie's mother and Mueller divorced when Eddie was in
his late teens. His mother and brothers moved back to the Chicago area, but
Vedder remained with his stepfather in California so he would not have to change
high schools. It was not until some time after the divorce that Eddie learned
the truth about his parentage. The man he thought was his biological father was
revealed to be his stepfather, and his real father was someone he knew as just a
casual aquaintance. Eddie wrote about this in the Pearl Jam song "Alive." His
already bad relationship with his stepfather became increasingly strained, and
Eddie eventually dropped out of school and joined the rest of his family in
Chicago. He also changed his name to Eddie Vedder, "Vedder" being his mother's
maiden name.
In 1984, Vedder returned to San Diego with his girlfriend, Beth Liebling. He
kept busy recording demo tapes at his home and working at various jobs,
including a position as night attendant at a local gas station. Soon the rather
shy singer became the vocalist for San Diego band Bad Radio. After he left that
band, Vedder's friend and former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons gave
him a demo tape from a band in Seattle that was looking for a singer. Vedder
recorded vocals for three of the songs, which later became Pearl Jam's "Alive",
"Once", and "Footsteps". Vedder wrote the song lyrics as a mini-opera, which is
known as the "Mamasan trilogy", about a young man scarred by both the death of
his father and a sexually abusive mother ("Alive"). The man grows up to become a
serial killer ("Once") and is eventually imprisoned and sentenced to death
("Footsteps"). When they heard the tape, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist
Jeff Ament invited Vedder to come to Seattle to audition for the band that soon
became Pearl Jam.
Many frontmen in the 1990s and early 2000s have attempted to imitate Vedder's
deep vocal range and singing style, including the frontmen of Creed, Puddle Of
Mudd, and Nickelback, among others.
In addition to his voice, Eddie became well known for extreme and political acts
during live shows. During the 1992 Lollapalooza shows, he got into a bile
drinking contest with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell that he eventually won.
During Pearl Jam's MTV Unplugged performance, Vedder (in behaviour very unusual
for an Unplugged show) stood atop his stool, took out a marker pen and wrote
PRO-CHOICE down his arm in large letters, baiting the conservative heads of MTV.
Vedder along with Pearl Jam also made numerous appearances at the Vote for
Change tour which supported Senator John Kerry during his run for presidential
office in 2004.
Vedder married longtime girlfriend Beth Liebling in 1994. The couple divorced in
2000. Vedder is currently dating Jill McCormick, and they have one daughter,
Olivia, who was born in 2004.
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 3 Jul 2006, 09:44 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 4 Jul 2006
