Eddie Vedder
Stone Gossard Reminisces About Pearl Jam’s Inception
Pearl Jam’s first show was 30 years ago on Thursday. Crazy, right? To mark the occasion, guitarist Stone Gossard looked back at those formative years in a lengthy conversation on Apple’s Strombo show. Gossard told the host that there were “than 60, 70 people. And at that time, we were really trying to be as spontaneously pushing ourselves to kind of take chances. And Ed [Vedder] came up to rehearse with us for the first time we’d written four, three songs.” The guitarist also revealed why Pearl Jam left “Better Man” off of Ten. “None of us had any say in that,” Gossard said. “That that was Ed’s thing. His ability to think that way has really been an important part, huge part of our long-term success because I just think that our fans have gotten used to t...
Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl Join Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Letter to You Radio’
When Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You Radio was first announced by Apple Music, it was effectively guaranteed that the show’s guests would be a who’s who of rock history. Today, that lineup happened to feature Eddie Vedder and Dave Grohl to chat about Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and a whole lot more. The conversation jumped flowed through topics like personal and musical growth, the art of the demo, rising to musical fame, and the brotherhood among bands. “What was the difference between making that journey with Nirvana and making it with the Foo Fighters?” Springsteen asked Grohl at one point. “Well, probably just like you, I would imagine, you start playing music when you’re young, because something catches your heart, right?” Grohl answered. “And for me personally, it was the Bea...
Eddie Vedder Shares New Version of ‘Cartography’
Eddie Vedder has just shared his new single, “Cartography.” But what makes this particular song a little extra special is that he’s released not one, but two versions of the track. “Cartography (Nick Zinner RFK remix)” is the Pearl Jam leader’s contribution to Sub Pop Singles Club Vol. 5,” and proceeds from the song will be donated to Fair Fight, which pushes “to ensure a free, fair and secure election in 2020″ — a cause Pearl Jam have been fighting for some time now. The new version of “Cartography” features “spoken word” in the form of a speech from Democratic senator Robert F. Kennedy. “Listening to the speech delivered by Bobby Kennedy in regards to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years ago,” Vedder said in a statement, “you are reminded that once again we are at a momen...
Eddie Vedder on ‘Democratic Process’ While Recording Gigaton, Admiration for Bandmates
Eddie Vedder opened up on a variety of topics — including working on new music during the global pandemic, why he finally joined Instagram and why the “democratic process” of recording Pearl Jam’s Gigaton makes it one of his favorite records — on a special fan-driven Q&A session with SiriusXM, Faithful Forum with Eddie Vedder, on Wednesday (Sept. 3). Vedder has been deemed Pearl Jam’s frontman, but he points out how PJ co-founders Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard’s longtime musical partnership has paved the way for the foundation of the band. “I think at some point we functioned without a leader,” he said in the interview. “If I ended up in that situation, I think it was reluctantly. It was by no means a hostile takeover. It was their world that started all this. It was Green River. A...
Pearl Jam Launch Voting Rights Sweepstakes
Pearl Jam and their Vitalogy Foundation have teamed up with online fundraising platform Omaze to not only raise funds to help ensure voting access this November but also to give one lucky fan and their guest the opportunity to hang out with Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament in their native Seattle. Pearl Jam is asking all their fans—if able—to join the band in pledging to vote by mail in the 2020 election. In addition to meeting Vedder and Ament, you’ll also get a private after-hours tour of the Pearl Jam: Home and Away exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture and tour London Bridge Studios, where Ten was recorded. You’ll also get to ask all your big fan questions as well as potentially partake in some beers if you’re over 21. “We would answer all your questions,” Vedder said in the promo video belo...
Eddie Vedder Talks Chris Cornell, Activism on Latest Episode of Lily Cornell Silver’s IGTV Series
Lily Cornell Silver released episode six of her Mind Wide Open IGTV series with guest Eddie Vedder today (Aug. 24). The pair speak about Silver’s father, Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, activism and the power of empathy. “I am thrilled that Ed offered to do Mind Wide Open,” Cornell Silver said in a statement. “His and his family’s support around my series means so much to me. He has always been like an uncle to me and is one of the pillars of support in my life. I know how impactful his voice is to people around the world and I deeply appreciate everything he stands for, so I am really excited for others to watch and hear his insights.” In the episode, Vedder offered some choice wisdom and like he did in a slightly similar fashion on Daddy Issues last month, the singer des...
Eddie Vedder, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion and More Urge Police Reform in California
Eddie Vedder, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Rihanna and the Jonas Brothers are among the hundreds of entertainment and sports figures who signed a letter today (Aug. 19) supporting police reform in California, urging state Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state legislature to approve two bills addressing police accountability. Other artists to sign include Blondie, A$AP Ferg, Grimes, Death Cab for Cutie, Future, Jack Johnson also added their signatures to the open letter. The first bill, SB 731 (Bradford), would establish an effective system to revoke a police officer’s certification based on criminal conviction and serious misconduct and update liability rules, while SB 776 (Skinner) would increase transparency and reporting in use of force incidents involving officers. Both bills are maki...
Pearl Jam, R.E.M. and More Demand Clearance for Campaign Songs
Pearl Jam, R.E.M. Sia, Lorde and more have joined forces with the Artists Rights Alliance to demand that the political parties “establish clear policies requiring campaigns to seek the consent of featured recording artists, songwriters, and copyright owners before publicly using their music in a political or campaign setting,” the Artist Rights Alliance announce in a statement. The letter also points out “the fundamental right of music creators to decide who can use their music and on what terms.” And if they do not comply, the political parties risk legal action. The ARA furthered their point in the following statement: “We’ve seen so many artists and estates dragged into politics against their will and forced to take aggressive action to prohibit the use of their music – usually songs th...
Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder on His Late Father, Getting ‘Gem of Advice’ From Bruce Springsteen
Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder opens up about the “spiritual energy” of his late father, being friends with his rock star heroes (including Bruce Springsteen), and navigating a “terrifying” COVID-19 reality in the latest installment of the Daddy Issues podcast, hosted by sportscaster Joe Buck and actor Oliver Hudson. Listen below. Early on in the wide-ranging segment, the frontman looks back at the mysteries of his father, who died from multiple sclerosis in the early ’80s — having only met briefly met him. (Vedder’s parents divorced before his second birthday.) “I have this image, this spiritual energy up there somewhere where I can feel him look after me,” he says. “Sometimes I’d feel I’m playing certain songs or certain places and I’d feel like his energy — like, ‘I think he’s watching h...
Listen to Eddie Vedder and Supersuckers Cover the Ramones’ ‘I Believe in Miracles’
On June 19, 2014, the Supersuckers played the tour closer for their American tour. But it became more significant because it was the final show after singer and bassist Eddie Spaghetti was diagnosed with throat cancer was set to get surgery. Despite the cloud over the Supersuckers at that moment, they had a great show that turned into an epic moment. During the encore, Eddie Vedder joined the band for a rendition of the Ramones’ “I Believe in Miracles.” “Somehow Eddie had found out about my cancer diagnosis and put the word out that he’d like to come to the show and maybe do something with the band,” Spaghetti said in a statement, “especially with the impending struggle I was about to undertake with the whole cancer fright. The song was extra poignant.” But Vedder’s support didn’t stop the...
Eddie Vedder and Dennis Rodman Once Flew to Vegas and Back Just to See Jane’s Addiction
Eddie Vedder is a devoted Chicago Bulls fan and Dennis Rodman listened to Pearl Jam while working out, so it was only a matter of time before the two became friends. During a recent chat with Bill Simmons, Vedder detailed his “long, long, deep friendship” with the eccentric NBA star and told a crazy story where the two flew to Vegas and back just to see Jane’s Addiction. The Bulls were in Seattle to play the Supersonics, and Vedder was hanging out at the Four Seasons with the team when Rodman’s security guard George took out three plane tickets. “Jane’s Addiction is playing in Vegas,” Rodman said. “And I’m like, Jesus Christ, it’s like fuckin’ 6 o’clock,” Vedder recalled. “He’s like, ‘We’ll get there by 9, they don’t go on until 9:30.” The Bulls coach Phil Jackson liked Vedder because...
