Hiro Yamamoto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hiro Yamamoto
Yamamoto in a 1987 promo photo
Background information
Birth name	Hiro D. Yamamoto
Born	(1961-04-13) April 13, 1961 (age 64) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Origin	Park Forest, Illinois
Genres	Heavy metal, grunge, alternative metal, garage rock, surf music, exotica
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Bass guitar, vocals, guitar
Years active	1984–2006 2008–present
Labels	Sub Pop, A&M

Hiro D. Yamamoto (born April 13, 1961) is a talented Japanese-American musician. He is best known as the original bassist and a founding member of the famous grunge band Soundgarden. He started the band in 1984 with Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell.

After leaving Soundgarden in 1989, Hiro continued his musical journey. He formed the independent rock band Truly in 1991. Later, in 2016, he co-founded a cool surf trio called Stereo Donkey.

Soundgarden

Hiro Yamamoto was a key part of Soundgarden from the very beginning. He played bass on many of their early recordings. These include the EPs Screaming Life, Fopp, and Loudest Love. He also played on their first two full albums, Ultramega OK and Louder Than Love.

Hiro left Soundgarden in 1989 after a European tour. After leaving the band, he went back to school. He earned his master's degree in physical chemistry. Today, he works as the Chief of Organic Chemistry at Edge Analytical in Burlington, Washington.

Hiro also helped write many songs for Soundgarden. Here are some of the songs he contributed to:

• "Heretic" (lyrics)
• "Tears to Forget" (co-wrote music)
• "All Your Lies" (co-wrote music)
• "Kingdom of Come" (credited to Soundgarden)
• "665" (music)
• "667" (music)
• "Circle of Power" (lyrics, vocals)
• "Nazi Driver" (music)
• "Toy Box" (co-wrote lyrics and music)
• "Power Trip" (music)
• "I Awake" (music)
• "No Wrong No Right" (music)

Truly

In 1991, Hiro Yamamoto started a new band called Truly. It was a three-person indie band. The other members were Mark Pickerel, who used to be the drummer for Screaming Trees, and singer Robert Roth.

Truly released two studio albums and a collection of unreleased songs. The band stopped playing together in 2000 but reunited in 2008.

Stereo Donkey

Stereo Donkey practicing in 2016. They say the old church where they play is like a "fourth member of the band."

In 2016, Hiro Yamamoto formed another band called Stereo Donkey. This trio plays surf-inspired music. Hiro plays with drummer Mike Bajuk and guitarist Pat Wickline.

In 2018, Stereo Donkey released a six-song EP (a short album). They recorded it in an old church where Pat Wickline lives. Pat says the room itself is like a "fourth member of the band" because of its unique sound. Their music mixes surf rock and exotica, while still having roots in the rock history of the Pacific Northwest.

Other performances

Hiro Yamamoto sometimes performs with other musicians. On November 8, 2021, he played at a special event in Seattle. This event honored new members of the Asian Hall of Fame. Other musicians like Jeff Kashiwa and Krist Novoselic also performed there.

Discography

Soundgarden

• Screaming Life (EP)
• Fopp (EP)
• Ultramega OK
• Flower (single)
• Louder Than Love
• Loudest Love (EP)

Truly

• Heart and Lungs (EP) – 1991
• Fast Stories... from Kid Coma – 1995
• Feeling You Up – 1997
• Subject to Change: Artists for a Hate-Free America – 1997 compilation
• Twilight Curtains – 2000

Stereo Donkey

• Stereo Donkey (EP) – 2018

See also

In Spanish: Hiro Yamamoto para niños