Eddie Vedder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie Vedder
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Vedder in September 2018
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Edward Louis Severson III
December 23, 1964 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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Beth Liebling
(m. 1994; div. 2000)Jill McCormick
(m. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
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Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and one of the guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam. Before Pearl Jam, he was a guest singer for the supergroup Temple of the Dog, which was a tribute band for the late singer Andrew Wood.
Vedder is famous for his deep, powerful voice, called a baritone. Rolling Stone magazine readers voted him seventh on their list of "Best Lead Singers of All Time."
He has also released solo music. His first solo album was a soundtrack for the movie Into the Wild (2007). He released his second solo album, Ukulele Songs, in 2011, and his third, Earthling, in 2022. In 2024, he released a song called "Save It For Later" for the TV show The Bear.
In 2017, Eddie Vedder was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Eddie Vedder was born Edward Louis Severson III on December 23, 1964, in Evanston, Illinois. His parents divorced when he was very young. His mother later married Peter Mueller, and Eddie grew up believing Mueller was his biological father. For a while, he even used the name Edward Mueller.
In the mid-1970s, his family moved to San Diego County, California. When Eddie turned 12, his mother gave him a guitar. Music and surfing became a great comfort to him. He especially loved The Who's album Quadrophenia. He once said that when he was about 15 or 16, he felt "all alone—except for music."
Later, his mother and Mueller divorced. Eddie learned that Mueller was his stepfather and that his biological father, Edward Severson Jr., had passed away. Eddie then changed his last name to Vedder, his mother's maiden name. He worked at a drug store to support himself and later earned his high school diploma.
Eddie Vedder's Music Career
In 1984, Vedder moved back to San Diego. He recorded demo tapes at home and played in local bands. One of his early bands was called Bad Radio, where he became the lead singer in 1988.
Joining Temple of the Dog
While working at a gas station, Eddie met Jack Irons, a drummer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 1990, Irons gave him a demo tape from a Seattle band looking for a singer. Eddie listened to the tape and wrote lyrics for three songs. He sent the tape back to Seattle. These three songs later became "Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps" for Pearl Jam.
After hearing Eddie's tape, former Mother Love Bone members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament invited him to Seattle. They were very impressed with his voice. At that time, Gossard and Ament were working on a project called Temple of the Dog. This project was created by Soundgarden's Chris Cornell to honor Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, who had passed away.
Eddie sang a duet with Chris Cornell on the song "Hunger Strike." Chris Cornell later said that Eddie sang his part perfectly, "just instinctively." This song was Eddie's first time singing on a record. He said it was "such a nice way to be ushered onto vinyl for the first time."
Success with Pearl Jam
The band that would become Pearl Jam formed in 1990. They were first called Mookie Blaylock, named after a basketball player. When they signed with Epic Records in 1991, they changed their name to Pearl Jam. Their first album, Ten, was named after Mookie Blaylock's jersey number.
Ten became one of the biggest albums of the 1990s, selling millions of copies. The song "Jeremy" was nominated for a Grammy Award and won several MTV Video Music Awards. Rolling Stone magazine ranks Ten as one of the greatest albums of all time.
After touring a lot, the band released their second album, Vs., in 1993. It broke records for album sales in its first week. Vs. was also nominated for a Grammy.
Pearl Jam felt a lot of pressure from their huge success, especially Eddie. They decided to promote their music less, even refusing to make music videos. In 1994, they started a famous boycott against Ticketmaster, which lasted three years. This limited where they could perform in the United States.
Later in 1994, they released Vitalogy, which also sold millions. On this album, Eddie played more rhythm guitar and even some drums. The songs on Vitalogy often talk about the pressures of fame. The album won a Grammy for the song "Spin the Black Circle."
Over the years, Pearl Jam continued to release many successful albums, including No Code (1996), Yield (1998), Binaural (2000), Riot Act (2002), and their self-titled album Pearl Jam (2006). More recently, they released Backspacer (2009), Lightning Bolt (2013), Gigaton (2020), and Dark Matter (2024).
Eddie Vedder sometimes uses the fake names "Jerome Turner" or "Wes C. Addle" for his non-musical work on Pearl Jam records, like album artwork.
Other Music Projects and Soundtracks
Besides Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder has worked on many other musical projects. He has contributed solo songs to several movie soundtracks, including Dead Man Walking (1995), I Am Sam (2001), and Eat Pray Love (2010). For I Am Sam, he covered The Beatles' song "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away."
Music for Into the Wild
In 2007, Eddie Vedder created a whole album of songs for the movie Into the Wild. The soundtrack has a folk sound and includes covers of "Hard Sun" and "Society." Eddie said writing songs for a movie story made it easier because "The story was there and the scenes were there."
He won a Golden Globe Award in 2008 for the song "Guaranteed" from Into the Wild. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award for the song.
To promote the Into the Wild soundtrack, Eddie went on his first solo tour in 2008 and 2009.
Ukulele Songs and Earthling
In 2011, Eddie Vedder released his second solo album, Ukulele Songs. This album features original songs and covers played on the ukulele. At the same time, he released a live DVD called Water on the Road, which showed performances from his 2008 solo tour.
His third solo album, Earthling, came out in 2022. For this album, he put together a backing band called "The Earthlings."
Working with Other Artists
Eddie Vedder has performed and recorded with many famous musicians. He has appeared on albums by the Who, Ramones, Neil Young, and R.E.M.. He also performed with the remaining members of the Doors at the 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. He was a guest at the Ramones' last show in 1996.
Eddie Vedder in Movies and TV
Eddie Vedder has made a few appearances in movies and TV shows. He had a small acting role in the 1992 movie Singles, where he played a drummer in a band. He also appeared in the 1996 grunge documentary Hype! and the 2003 Ramones documentary End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones.
In 2007, he made a funny cameo as himself in the comedy movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He also appeared in the 2008 documentary Slacker Uprising and the 2009 film The People Speak, which was based on a history book.
Interestingly, the character of Jackson Maine in the 2018 movie A Star is Born was partly inspired by Eddie Vedder. The actor and director, Bradley Cooper, spent time with Eddie to learn more about the character.
Activism and Causes
Eddie Vedder often uses his platform as a musician to speak out about important issues. He has supported various causes, including:
- Human Rights: He has spoken about issues like the death penalty and women's rights.
- Politics: He has supported different political candidates over the years, including Ralph Nader, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Biden.
- Environment: As a surfer, he is active in protecting the oceans and supports groups like The Surfrider Foundation. He even has a tattoo that supports the environmental group Earth First!.
- Gun Control: He is a strong supporter of gun control and has performed at concerts to raise awareness about gun violence.
Musical Style and Influences
Critics often describe Eddie Vedder's singing as a "Jim Morrison-like vocal growl." He is known for his deep, powerful voice and honest lyrics. He has said that bands like the Doors, Neil Young, the Ramones, R.E.M., and especially The Who (his favorite band) have influenced his music.
His lyrics often tell stories and explore themes of freedom, being an individual, and showing kindness to people who are struggling. He also often uses water metaphors in his songs.
While he is best known as a singer, Eddie also plays guitar on many Pearl Jam songs. His guitar playing helped the band create a more raw, punk-influenced sound. He also plays the ukulele, harmonica, and accordion on some recordings.
Live Performances
During Pearl Jam concerts, Eddie Vedder is known for interacting a lot with the audience. Early in the band's career, he was famous for his energetic performances, including stage diving and crowd surfing.
He often uses his time on stage to talk about politics and social issues, especially criticizing U.S. foreign policy. For example, at a 2007 concert, he encouraged the audience to boycott an oil company for polluting Lake Michigan.
Personal Life
[[multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | header = Eddie Vedder's August 3, 2007, Wrigley Field visit | header_align = left/right/center | header_background = | footer = | footer_align = left/right/center | footer_background = | width = | image1 =Eddie_Vedder_singing_Take_Me_Out_To_The_Ballgame_at_Wrigley_Field.jpg | width1 = 130 | caption1 = Singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during seventh-inning stretch | image2 = 20070803 Eddie Vedder throwing ceremonial first pitch.jpg | width2 = 170 | caption2 = Throwing ceremonial first pitch ]] Eddie Vedder went to San Dieguito High School. He later donated money from a Pearl Jam concert to help build a theater for the school, named after his former drama teacher, Clayton E. Liggett. Liggett was a mentor to Eddie, and Eddie wrote the song "Long Road" after Liggett passed away.
In the early 1990s, when he first moved to Seattle, Eddie Vedder was roommates with Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell. He was also friends with Alice in Chains' lead singer Layne Staley and paid tribute to him after his death.
Eddie married his longtime girlfriend, model Jill McCormick, in 2010. They have two daughters, Olivia (born 2004) and Harper (born 2008). In 2014, Eddie and Jill started the EB Research Partnership, a non-profit group that raises money to find a cure for a rare skin disorder called epidermolysis bullosa. They have raised over $25 million for research.
Eddie was a close friend of Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave. They were neighbors and sang together in Temple of the Dog. He is also good friends with Pete Townshend from The Who, who encouraged Eddie not to retire from music in 1993. Eddie was also close to Johnny Ramone, the guitarist from the Ramones, and wrote the Pearl Jam song "Life Wasted" after Johnny's funeral.
The yearly baseball games between the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres are sometimes called the Vedder Cup because both cities are important to the singer.
Eddie Vedder is a big fan of the science fiction writer Kurt Vonnegut. He has said that Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle is his favorite book.
Awards and Recognition
Eddie Vedder has received several awards and nominations for his music:
- In 2008, he won a Golden Globe Award for "Guaranteed" from the Into the Wild soundtrack.
- He has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards for his solo work.
- He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam in 2017.
- Rolling Stone has ranked him among the "Best Lead Singers of All Time" and "Singer with the Most Unique Voice."
Images for kids
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Eddie Vedder's signature.
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Vedder para niños
