Eddie Vedder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eddie Vedder
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Vedder in September 2018
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| Born |
Edward Louis Severson III
December 23, 1964 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Beth Liebling
(m. 1994; div. 2000)Jill McCormick
(m. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | San Diego, California, U.S. |
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Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III on 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. He was also a guest singer for the group Temple of the Dog, a tribute band for the singer Andrew Wood.
In 2007, Vedder released his first solo album, which was the soundtrack for the movie Into the Wild. He released his second album, Ukulele Songs, in 2011, and his third album, Earthling, in 2022.
Vedder is famous for his powerful, deep singing voice. A Rolling Stone magazine readers' poll ranked him seventh on a list of "Best Lead Singers of All Time". In 2017, he was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam.
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Early life
Eddie Vedder was born in Evanston, Illinois. His parents, Karen Lee Vedder and Edward Louis Severson Jr., divorced when he was a baby. His mother soon remarried a man named Peter Mueller. For many years, Vedder believed Mueller was his real father.
In the mid-1970s, Vedder's family moved to San Diego County, California. For his 12th birthday, his mother gave him a guitar. Music and surfing became important to him. He especially loved the album Quadrophenia by The Who. He once said, "When I was around 15 or 16... I was all alone—except for music."
When Vedder was a teenager, his mother and stepfather divorced. It was then that he learned the truth: Mueller was not his biological father. His real father, whom he had met as a child but thought was just a family friend, had passed away from multiple sclerosis. This shocking discovery later inspired the lyrics for the Pearl Jam song "Alive".
During his senior year of high school, Vedder moved into his own apartment and worked at a drug store to support himself. The stress of school and work led him to leave high school. He later moved to the Chicago area to be with his family and started using his mother's maiden name, Vedder. A few years later, he earned his high school diploma.
Music career
Temple of the Dog
In 1990, while working at a gas station in California, Vedder's friend Jack Irons (a former drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers) gave him a demo tape from a band in Seattle that needed a singer. The music was by Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, whose previous band, Mother Love Bone, had ended after its singer Andrew Wood passed away.
Vedder wrote lyrics for three of the songs on the tape, telling a story about a young man who finds out his father is not his biological dad. He recorded his vocals and sent the tape back to Seattle. The band members were very impressed. Those songs became Pearl Jam's "Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps".
Gossard and Ament invited Vedder to Seattle to audition. At the same time, they were working on a project called Temple of the Dog with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden to honor Andrew Wood. Vedder ended up singing a duet with Cornell on the song "Hunger Strike". This was the first time Vedder's voice was featured on a major record.
Pearl Jam
In 1990, Ament, Gossard, and guitarist Mike McCready formed a new band and recruited Vedder as the lead singer. They signed with Epic Records in 1991 and named their band Pearl Jam. Their first album, Ten, became a huge success and one of the best-selling albums of the 1990s. The music video for their song "Jeremy" won four awards at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year.
The band's second album, Vs. (1993), sold more copies in its first week than any album before it and was number one on the charts for five weeks.
The pressure of fame was difficult for the band, especially for Vedder. They decided to promote their music less, which included not making music videos for a while. In 1994, the band also started a boycott of the ticket company Ticketmaster, which made it harder for them to tour in the United States for three years.
The band's third album, Vitalogy (1994), was also a big hit. On this album, Vedder played more rhythm guitar. The lead single, "Spin the Black Circle", won a Grammy Award in 1996.
Pearl Jam continued to release successful albums, including No Code (1996) and Yield (1998). Over the years, the band has had a few changes in drummers. Jack Irons joined in 1994, and in 1998, former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron became the band's permanent drummer.
The band has released twelve studio albums in total, including Gigaton in 2020 and Dark Matter in 2024.
Other musical projects
Soundtracks and solo albums
Vedder has created music for many movies. He wrote songs for films like Dead Man Walking (1995), I Am Sam (2001), and Reign Over Me (2007).
In 2007, he wrote and performed all the songs for the soundtrack of the movie Into the Wild. The album was a collection of folk-style songs. Vedder won a Golden Globe Award for the song "Guaranteed". He then went on his first solo tour to promote the soundtrack.
In 2011, he released Ukulele Songs, an album of original songs and covers played on the ukulele. His third solo album, Earthling, came out in 2022. To tour for this album, he formed a band called "The Earthlings."
Collaborations
Besides his work with Pearl Jam and Temple of the Dog, Vedder has worked with many famous artists. He has recorded with the Who, Ramones, Neil Young, R.E.M., and Cat Power. He has also performed live with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and the surviving members of the Doors.
Activism
Vedder often uses his music and fame to talk about social and political issues. He supports causes like environmental protection and human rights.
He is a big supporter of the Surfrider Foundation, an organization that works to protect oceans and beaches. He also supported the West Memphis Three, three men who he and many others believed were wrongly convicted of a crime. Vedder attended their release hearing in 2011. He is also an activist for safer gun laws.
Musical style
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Vedder is known for his deep, powerful voice, which has been compared to Jim Morrison of The Doors. His lyrics often tell stories and explore themes of freedom, personal struggles, and social issues.
He is mainly a singer but also plays guitar. His guitar playing helped shape Pearl Jam's sound, making it more raw and direct. He also plays other instruments like the ukulele, harmonica, and accordion on some recordings.
During live shows, Vedder is known for his energetic performances and for talking to the audience about political and social topics between songs.
Personal life
Vedder is good friends with many other musicians, including Pete Townshend of The Who and the late Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. Cornell was one of the first people Vedder met in Seattle, and they became like brothers.
In 1994, Vedder married musician Beth Liebling. They divorced in 2000. On September 18, 2010, he married model Jill McCormick. They have two daughters, Olivia and Harper. In 2014, Vedder and his wife started the EB Research Partnership, an organization that raises money to find a cure for a rare genetic skin disorder.
Vedder is a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. He has sung "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" at their games several times, including during the 2016 World Series. He even wrote a tribute song for the team called "All the Way".
Images for kids
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Vedder in September 2006
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Vedder in August 2008
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Vedder (left) with Pearl Jam in June 2018
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Singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at a Chicago Cubs game.
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Throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Cubs game.
Discography
Solo albums
- Into the Wild (2007)
- Ukulele Songs (2011)
- Flag Day (Original Soundtrack) (2021) (with Glen Hansard and Cat Power)
- Earthling (2022)
Temple of the Dog discography
- Temple of the Dog (1991)
Pearl Jam discography
See also
In Spanish: Eddie Vedder para niños
