Eddie Vedder
“A Seattle tape, a hymn called Alive, then a band that outlived its decade.”
In 1991, Eddie Vedder joined the Seattle band that became Pearl Jam and recorded their debut album Ten. The record's raw emotion and his baritone voice made it one of the best-selling albums of the decade and helped define grunge.
California Surfer
Born in Illinois and raised partly in San Diego, Vedder was a passionate surfer and music fan. A demo tape passed to Seattle musicians changed his life.
Grunge Frontman
Joining Pearl Jam in 1990, he became one of the signature voices of the grunge era. The band's 1991 debut Ten sold over ten million copies in the U.S.
Restless Artist
Beyond Pearl Jam, Vedder explored solo work including the Into the Wild soundtrack and a ukulele album. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
Career Timeline
- 1964Born Edward Severson in Evanston.
- 1991Ten. Pearl Jam becomes weather.
- 1994The Ticketmaster fight.
- 2007Into the Wild.
Biggest Hits
- He grew up believing his stepfather was his biological father, an experience that inspired the Pearl Jam song "Alive."
- He composed the soundtrack for the 2007 film Into the Wild as his first solo album.
Portrait: Raph_PH · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons