Pearl Jam

Artist Image: Pearl Jam
Attribution
Image Credit: Lugnuts (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Pearl Jam is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has comprised Eddie Vedder (lead vocals), Mike McCready (lead guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar) and Jeff Ament (bass). The band's fifth member is drummer Matt Cameron (also of Soundgarden), who has been with the band since 1998. Boom Gaspar (piano) has also been a session/touring member with the band since 2002. Drummers Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese and Jack Irons are former members of the band. Formed after the demise of Gossard and Ament's previous band, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream with its debut album, Ten, in 1991. One of the key bands in the grunge movement of the early 1990s, over the course of the band's career, its members became noted for their refusal to adhere to traditional music industry practices, including refusing to make proper music videos or give interviews, and engaging in a much-publicized boycott of Ticketmaster. In 2006, Rolling Stone described the band as having "spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame." To date, the band has sold nearly 32 million records in the U.S. and an estimated 60 million worldwide. Pearl Jam has outlasted and outsold many of its contemporaries from the alternative rock breakthrough of the early 1990s, and is considered one of the most influential bands of that decade. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic referred to Pearl Jam as "the most popular American rock & roll band of the '90s."

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1990
Number of Albums 243
Record Label Monkeywrench Records
Website www.pearljam.com
Wikipedia Pearl Jam on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Where did Pearl Jam come into being in 1990?

Seattle

...ernative rock group into the 21st century. Pearl Jam came into being in Seattle in 1990 when Gossard and Ament of the glam influenced rock combo Mothe...
In what year did Pearl Jam release Ten?

1991

...miring his jam session style. The band released its first album, Ten, in 1991 . Alternative rock had already begun to receive mainstream acceptance, th...
What did Pearl Jam refuse to produce for any of their songs on their second album?

music videos

...ting the mainstream music industry. Notably, they refused to produce music videos for any of the songs on their second album, Vs (1993), and in 1994 t...
In what year did they cancel a tour?

1994

...sic videos for any of the songs on their second album, Vs (1993), and in 1994 they canceled a tour as the result of a heated battle over ticket prices...
How many live and unedited CDs were released by Pearl Jam?

25

...t distribution techniques. Pearl Jam, however, remained a popular concert draw, and its 2000 European tour was chronicled on 25 live and unedited CDs....
Who was the lead singer of Pearl Jam?

Eddie Vedder

...ock & roll band of their time. Much of this earnestness stemmed from Eddie Vedder , a lead singer of uncommon charisma and passion who helped the group...
What was Eddie Vedder's nickname?

Mookie Blaylock

...ics and was subsequently invited to join the group (then christened Mookie Blaylock after the NBA player). Dave Krusen was hired as the fulltime drumm...
What hard rock band did Pearl Jam emerge from?

Mother Love Bone

...rena rock moves seem intimate. Pearl Jam emerged from the ashes of Mother Love Bone , a hard rock band who missed their shot at the big time. Thanks to...
Who was the future drummer for Pearl Jam?

Jack Irons

...missed their shot at the big time. Thanks to future Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons , the demo found its way to a 25yearold San Diego surfer named Eddie V...
Who was hired as the drummer?

Dave Krusen

...oin the group (then christened Mookie Blaylock after the NBA player). Dave Krusen was hired as the fulltime drummer shortly thereafter, completing the...
What was Dave Krusen's job title?

drummer

...e Blaylock after the NBA player). Dave Krusen was hired as the fulltime drummer shortly thereafter, completing the original lineup. Renaming themselve...
When was the band's debut album released?

August

...album, Ten, in the beginning of 1991, although it wasn't released until August ; in the meantime, the majority of the group appeared on the Andrew Wood...
Who replaced Krusen after the release of Ten?

Dave Abbruzzese

... left the band shortly after the release of Ten; he was replaced by Dave Abbruzzese . Ten didn't begin selling in significant numbers until early 1992,...
When did Ten begin selling in significant numbers?

early 1992

...ave Abbruzzese. Ten didn't begin selling in significant numbers until early 1992 , after Nirvana made mainstream rock radio receptive to alternative ro...
What band made mainstream rock radio receptive to alternative rock acts?

Nirvana

...Ten didn't begin selling in significant numbers until early 1992, after Nirvana made mainstream rock radio receptive to alternative rock acts. After a...
What decade was Pearl Jam a notable success story?

1990s

...A remarkable 1990s success story, the band is also part of the fierce Seattle rock scene that stunned the music industry by turning soulful, cathartic...
Who was McCready an idolizer of?

Jimi Hendrix

...as Shadow and Love Chile. While long an idolizer of rock trailblazer Jimi Hendrix , McCreadys playing had recently been energized by the work of blues ...
What was the name of Pearl Jam's debut album?

Ten

... guitarist Mike McCready, and drummer Dave Abbruzzese. Their debut album, Ten , was released the same yearit sold a whopping 6.9 million records. Led b...
How many records did Pearl Jam sell?

6.9 million

... Their debut album, Ten, was released the same yearit sold a whopping 6.9 million records. Led by the moody, reclusive Vedder, Pearl Jam swam straight...
Who was the lead guitarist for Pearl Jam?

Mike McCready

...ouraged him to come to Seattle, where he joined them, lead guitarist Mike McCready , and drummer Dave Abbruzzese. Their debut album, Ten, was released ...
What did Vedder say was not worth it?

to have my picture taken and my face everywhere

...der was quoted by Brisbane's CourierMail as saying. It's not worth it to have my picture taken and my face everywhere . All that you need is the music....
What was strewn on threadbare carpet in the fall of 1990?

guitars, drums and amps

...eiling. In the fall of 1990, this shabby space was crammed with guitars, drums and amps strewn on threadbare carpet, cords and wires everywhere. Sheet...
Why were sheets and blankets tacked to ceilings and walls?

for better acoustics

...erywhere. Sheets and blankets were tacked to ceilings and walls, for better acoustics . Posters of basketball players, filmmaker John Waters and guitar...
Who was a filmmaker?

John Waters

...walls, for better acoustics. Posters of basketball players, filmmaker John Waters and guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan inspired the rock band that rehear...
Who inspired the rock band that rehearsed there?

Posters of basketball players, filmmaker John Waters and guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan

...nd walls, for better acoustics. Posters of basketball players, filmmaker John Waters and guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan inspired the rock band that reh...
What was the rent for the room that the photographer used?

less than 75 a month

...nspired the rock band that rehearsed there. Rent would have been less than 75 a month , according to the blacksmith upstairs. And that little room righ...
Who was the guitar god?

Stevie Ray Vaughan

...sters of basketball players, filmmaker John Waters and guitar god Stevie Ray Vaughan inspired the rock band that rehearsed there. Rent would have been...
When did Ament and Gossard release their first full length album?

June 1988

...erests led to their demise before the release of a fulllength album in June 1988 . Meanwhile, Ament and Gossard had found another likeminded musician i...
Who was the vocalist for Malfunkshun?

Andy Wood

... Gossard had found another likeminded musician in Malfunkshun vocalist Andy Wood , a magnetic frontman equally capable of outlandish stage theatrics an...
What was the name of the guitarist who joined the band?

Bruce Fairweather

...ics and hearttugging piano ballads. The trio merged with guitarist Bruce Fairweather and drummer Greg Gilmore to form Mother Love Bone, their mustsee ...
When did Mother Love Bone sign a deal with PolyGram Records?

November 1988

...creasingly polished sound leading to a deal with PolyGram Records in November 1988 . However, as Mother Love Bone recorded their debut album, Apple, in...
What was the name of the debut album that mother love bone recorded?

Apple

... November 1988. However, as Mother Love Bone recorded their debut album, Apple , in fall 1989, Wood's heroin use had become a major source of concern f...
Who had to start a new band from scratch after the death of Wood?

Ament and Gossard

...e a major source of concern for the band. After the death of Wood, Ament and Gossard had to start a new band from scratch As Mother Love Bone was meet...
What hardrock outfit was Mike McCready a member of?

Shadow

... was rediscovering his groove. Formerly a member of the hardrock outfit Shadow , McCready had abandoned his musical dreams after his group struck out i...
Where did McCready abandon his musical dreams after his group struck out?

Los Angeles

...Cready had abandoned his musical dreams after his group struck out in Los Angeles . But the passion was reignited with his discovery of Stevie Ray Vaug...
What group did Angeles play with when Gossard approached him to collaborate with him?

Love Chile

...ie Ray Vaughan's blues guitar, and he was playing with a group called Love Chile when Gossard, an old friend, approached him to collaborate in spring ...
What was the name of the five track instrumental collection?

Stone Gossard Demos '91

...record a fivetrack instrumental collection that became known as Stone Gossard Demos '91 . With Cameron only assisting on a temporary basis, the others ...
Where did Eddie Vedder spend his high school years?

San Diego

...rumentals Hailing from the Chicago area, Eddie Vedder spent his high school years in San Diego and returned there after fleeing a turbulent home life....
Where was Pearl Jam formed in 1990?

Seattle, Washington

...e Pearl Jam (album). Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington , in 1990. Pearl Jam outsold many of their contemporaries from th...
How long did Ten stay on the Billboard 200 chart?

nearly five years

...but album, Ten, in 1991. Ten stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for nearly five years , and has gone on to become one of the highestselling rock records...
In what year did Vs. sell over 950,000 copies?

1993

...g rock records ever, going 13 platinum in the United States. Released in 1993 , Pearl Jam's second album, Vs., sold over 950,000 copies in its first we...
How many copies of Jam's Vs. sold in its first week of release?

950,000

...ited States. Released in 1993, Pearl Jam's second album, Vs., sold over 950,000 copies in its first week of release, setting the record for most copie...
What was the second fastest selling CD in history?

Vitalogy

...lbum sold in its first week of release at the time. Their third album, Vitalogy (1994), became the secondfastestselling CD in history at the time, wit...
What did Rolling Stone say the band had spent most of the past decade deliberately tearing apart?

their own fame

...the concertticket market. In 2006, Rolling Stone described the band as having spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame ....