Jack Irons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Irons
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Irons in 1984
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jack Steven Irons |
| Born | July 18, 1962 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Alternative rock, punk rock, art rock, funk rock, funk metal |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | MCA, EMI, Capitol, Epic, Morgan Creek, RCA, Hollywood, Pollen, Breaching Whale, Sire |
Jack Steven Irons (born July 18, 1962) is an American drummer. He is famous for being a founding member and drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was also a member of other well-known bands like Pearl Jam and Eleven.
Besides his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, Irons has played with The Wallflowers and the Mark Lanegan Band. He has also collaborated with many other artists, including Joe Strummer and Neil Young. In 1995, Irons and the members of Pearl Jam recorded and toured the Mirror Ball album with Neil Young. Jack Irons has also released two solo albums: Attention Dimension (2004) and No Heads Are Better Than One (2010).
In 2012, Jack Irons was honored by being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Red Hot Chili Peppers. He even joined the band on stage for the first time in 24 years to perform their hit song "Give It Away". In 2017, Irons opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers on their The Getaway World Tour.
Biography
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Jack Irons was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. As a child, he loved music and would use his family's silverware as drumsticks. He played along to songs on the radio. Eventually, he convinced his parents to buy him a drum set and started taking drum lessons.
He attended Bancroft Jr. High School in Hollywood. There, he met future bandmates Michael "Flea" Balzary and Hillel Slovak. Later, at Fairfax High School, he also met Anthony Kiedis and Alain Johannes. Jack and Hillel were big fans of the band Kiss and even formed a tribute band. Jack Irons was inspired by drummers like Jack DeJohnette, Stewart Copeland, and Keith Moon.
Forming What Is This? and Red Hot Chili Peppers
As teenagers in 1976, Irons, Johannes, Slovak, and Todd Strassman formed a band called Chain Reaction. They soon changed their name to Anthym. When their bass player wasn't working out, Slovak taught his friend Michael "Flea" Balzary to play bass, and Flea joined the band. After high school, the band changed its name again to What Is This?. This name came from a common question people asked when they heard the band play.
In 1983, Flea, along with Kiedis, Slovak, and Irons, formed a new band for a single show. They called themselves Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Their performance was a huge success. They decided to keep playing together and changed their name to Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band quickly became popular in Los Angeles.
After six months, they got a record deal with EMI. However, since What Is This? had signed a record deal two weeks earlier, Slovak and Irons decided to leave Red Hot Chili Peppers. They saw Red Hot Chili Peppers as a side project at the time. With What Is This?, Irons recorded an EP called Squeezed (EP) in 1984, another EP 3 Out of 5 Live in 1985, and a full album that same year. What Is This? later broke up, and Slovak rejoined Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In 1986, Jack Irons returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers after their drummer Cliff Martinez left. Irons played drums on the band's first demo tape and their third album, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan, released in 1987. Sadly, in 1988, Hillel Slovak passed away. This was a very difficult time for Jack Irons, and he decided to leave the band again because he didn't want to be part of a group where his friends were facing such difficulties. He later shared that Slovak's passing had a lasting impact on him.
Years later, in 2012, Irons performed with Red Hot Chili Peppers at a concert in Los Angeles. In 2017, he was an opening act for some of their shows.
Joining Eleven
After leaving Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Irons focused on his health. In 1990, he teamed up with Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider to form the band Eleven. With Eleven, Irons recorded the albums Awake in a Dream (1991) and Eleven (1993). He later left Eleven to play with Pearl Jam but returned to the band in 2002 for their album Howling Book (2003).
Playing with Pearl Jam
In 1990, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard invited Irons to join their new band, Mookie Blaylock, which later became Pearl Jam. At that time, Irons was busy with Eleven and couldn't join. However, he helped them find a singer by giving a cassette of their music to Eddie Vedder, a musician he knew. Vedder then joined the band. Irons also helped Pearl Jam open for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their 1991 tour.
Irons officially became the drummer for Pearl Jam in late 1994. His first recording with them was a song for their album Vitalogy (1994). Band members were happy to have him. Stone Gossard said Jack brought a "breath of fresh air" and was a great friend. Irons made his first public appearance with Pearl Jam at Neil Young's 1994 Bridge School Benefit.
Irons also played with Pearl Jam members on Neil Young's 1995 album, Mirror Ball, and toured with Young. Neil Young praised Irons, calling him "unbelievable" and saying he played with incredible energy.
With Irons, Pearl Jam recorded their albums No Code (1996) and Yield (1998). He brought a unique drumming style to the band. He even co-wrote some songs on No Code, like "Who You Are". He also wrote and sang on a few Pearl Jam songs, including "Happy When I'm Crying" and "Whale Song."
Irons played with Pearl Jam until March 1998. Before a tour, he decided to leave the band because he found touring very challenging. Eddie Vedder said that his decision to leave was difficult for the band. Matt Cameron from Soundgarden then took over as Pearl Jam's drummer.
Other Musical Projects
Solo Album: Attention Dimension
On September 7, 2004, Jack Irons released his first solo album, Attention Dimension. He started working on drum music in 1994, but he seriously began recording for a solo album around 1999, after leaving Pearl Jam. The album features many of his former bandmates, including Alain Johannes, Flea, Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament. Eddie Vedder even sang on a cover of Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
Collaborations with Other Artists
Besides his main bands, Irons has worked with many other musicians. He recorded and toured with Joe Strummer's band, The Latino Rockabilly War, for the album Earthquake Weather (1989). He also toured with Redd Kross in 1990.
In 2000, Irons was part of the first lineup of Colonel Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. He also played on the song "Milky Ave" for Perry Farrell's band Satellite Party in 2007, which also featured his former bandmate Flea. In 2012, he appeared on Flea's solo EP Helen Burns. More recently, Irons played on several songs for former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer's solo albums, To Be One With You (2019) and I Don't Feel Well (2020), released under the name Pluralone.
Equipment
Jack Irons uses Masters of Maple Drums, Zildjian cymbals, and Pro-Mark drumsticks.
Personal Life
Jack Irons is married and has two children. His son, Zach Irons, is a talented musician himself. Zach is the founder and lead guitarist for the band Irontom. In September 2015, Zach Irons also became the lead guitarist for the band AWOLNATION. Jack Irons has openly discussed managing a health condition that affects his mood and energy. He shared that learning to understand what was real versus what was in his head took time.
Discography (Selected)
Jack Irons has contributed to many albums throughout his career. Here are some of the key albums he played on or helped create:
What Is This?
- 1984: Squeezed
- 1985: What Is This?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
- 1987: The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
Eleven
- 1991: Awake in a Dream
- 1993: Eleven
- 2003: Howling Book
Pearl Jam
- 1994: Vitalogy (on one track)
- 1996: No Code
- 1998: Yield
Solo Albums
- 2004: Attention Dimension
- 2010: No Heads Are Better Than One
See also
In Spanish: Jack Irons para niños
