Matt Cameron facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matt Cameron
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Cameron drumming with Soundgarden in 2013
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| Birth name | Matthew David Cameron |
| Also known as | Foo Cameron III Ted Dameron MFC |
| Born | November 28, 1962 San Diego, California, US |
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| Years active | 1975–present |
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Matthew David Cameron (born November 28, 1962) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer for the famous rock band Pearl Jam. Before joining Pearl Jam, he became well-known as the drummer for the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden. He was part of Soundgarden from 1986 until they first broke up in 1997.
In 1998, Matt Cameron joined Pearl Jam. He became a full-time member and has been with them ever since. When Soundgarden reunited in 2010, he played drums for both bands at the same time. He stayed with Soundgarden until they broke up again in 2017. Matt Cameron is one of only three members who played on every Soundgarden studio album.
He also played drums for other bands like Temple of the Dog. He was also the lead singer for a band called Wellwater Conspiracy. In 2016, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time." In 2017, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam. He has also won two Grammy Awards with Soundgarden.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Matt Cameron was born and grew up in San Diego, California. He started playing drums when he was very young. When he was 13, he played in a cover band called "Kiss" (with "imitation" written small underneath). He even met Paul Stanley from the real Kiss band! But the real Kiss band's managers told them to stop, so the band broke up.
In 1978, when he was a teenager, Matt sang a song called "Puberty Love." This song was in the movie Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. His older brother gave him the nickname "Foo," which stuck for a while.
Musical Journey
Early Bands: Bam Bam and Skin Yard (1983–1986)
In 1983, Matt Cameron moved to Seattle, Washington. His first professional drumming job was with a band called Bam Bam. This band had an early grunge singer named Tina Bell.
After Bam Bam, Matt joined a new band called Skin Yard in 1985. He played with them for about a year. Skin Yard released their first album, Skin Yard, in 1986. Matt wrote a song for them called "Reptile." Soon after this album came out, Matt left Skin Yard to join Soundgarden.
Soundgarden Years (1986–1997; 2010–2017)
Matt Cameron joined Soundgarden in September 1986. The band included singer Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Chris Cornell said that Matt was "already the best drummer in town" when they met.
Soundgarden released their first full album, Ultramega OK, in 1988. This album earned them their first Grammy Award nomination. They then signed with a major record label, A&M Records. In 1989, they released Louder Than Love.
In 1990, Ben Shepherd joined as the new bassist. This new lineup released Badmotorfinger in 1991. This album made the band much more popular. They became famous as part of the "grunge" music scene in Seattle. Badmotorfinger was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1992.
Their next album, Superunknown, released in 1994, was a huge success. It went to number one on the Billboard charts. It had hit songs like "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun". Matt's drumming on this album was amazing, with complex and interesting rhythms. Superunknown was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1995. "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman" both won Grammy Awards.
In 1996, Soundgarden released Down on the Upside. The band broke up in 1997 due to creative differences. Matt later said that the music business "ate up" Soundgarden.
On January 1, 2010, Soundgarden announced they were getting back together. They released a new album called King Animal in 2012. Matt Cameron wrote or co-wrote several songs for Soundgarden, including "Mailman" and "Rhinosaur." Experts praised his drumming for making unusual rhythms sound natural.
Pearl Jam Journey (1998–present)
About a year after Soundgarden broke up, Matt Cameron was asked to join Pearl Jam. Their drummer, Jack Irons, had left. Matt had worked with some Pearl Jam members before on the Temple of the Dog project. He learned over 80 songs in just two weeks! He was first hired temporarily, but soon became a full member.
Matt Cameron has now been Pearl Jam's drummer for the longest time. Guitarist Mike McCready said Matt has made Pearl Jam "a way better band." In 1998, Pearl Jam, with Matt on drums, recorded "Last Kiss". This song became their highest-charting single, reaching number two on the Billboard charts.
Since joining Pearl Jam, Matt has played on many albums. These include Binaural (2000), Riot Act (2002), and Pearl Jam (2006). More recent albums include Backspacer (2009), Lightning Bolt (2013), and Gigaton (2020).
Matt has also written songs for Pearl Jam. Some of these include "Evacuation," "Cropduster," and "You Are." The band's singer, Eddie Vedder, has praised Matt's songwriting and drumming. He called him "the greatest drummer on the planet." In 2022 and 2023, Matt had to miss some Pearl Jam shows because he tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Other Music Projects
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Matt Cameron has been involved in many other music projects. In 1991, he played on the Temple of the Dog album. This album honored Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, who had passed away.
He also loves garage rock. He formed bands like Hater and Wellwater Conspiracy. With Wellwater Conspiracy, he even became the lead singer after bassist Ben Shepherd left.
Matt has also played drums for other famous artists. He played on a song called "Narayan" for The Prodigy. He also played on "For Martha" for The Smashing Pumpkins' album Adore. He contributed to solo albums by Chris Cornell and Geddy Lee.
In 2013, Matt played on an all-drum album called Drumgasm with other drummers. More recently, in 2021, Matt Cameron formed a new band called 3rd Secret. This band also includes Kim Thayil from Soundgarden and Krist Novoselic from Nirvana. They released their first album in April 2022.
Musical Style and Influences
Music experts describe Matt Cameron as one of rock's best and most flexible drummers. He is known for his creativity, power, and exact playing. He doesn't try to take over a song. Instead, he finds a rhythm that fits and supports the song's mood. You can hear this in songs like Soundgarden's "Mind Riot."
Even though he plays rock music, Matt said he wasn't a big rock fan growing up. He was more interested in jazz music. He likes progressive rock and different types of jazz. Matt has said that drummers like Keith Moon and Buddy Rich were big influences on him.
Matt often uses a drumming pattern called a "paradiddle." He also uses many tom-tom drum grooves and tribal patterns. Famous examples include the drumming in Soundgarden's "Jesus Christ Pose" and "Spoonman". He also uses a technique called open-handed drumming in some songs.
Drumming Equipment
Matt Cameron uses drums and cymbals from well-known companies. He uses Yamaha drums and hardware. For cymbals, he uses Zildjian. He uses Vic Firth drumsticks and Remo drumheads.
Over the years, he has used different drum kits. In the 1980s and 1990s, he often used Drum Workshop (DW) drums. He was known for using large drums to get a powerful sound. For example, on the Superunknown album, he used a very big bass drum.
Later, he switched to Ayotte drums. Since 2002, he has been using Yamaha drums. He experiments with different types of wood for his drums, like birch and oak, which give different sounds. He often uses 12, 13, and 16-inch toms, with a shallow 24-inch bass drum. He also uses special snare drums made by Gregg Keplinger.
Personal Life
Matt Cameron married April Acevez on October 25, 1997. They live in Woodway, Washington. They have two children, a son named Ray (born in 1998) and a daughter named Josie. Outside of music, Matt Cameron enjoys running. His favorite author is Franz Kafka.
Discography
- Soundgarden
- Ultramega OK (1988)
- Louder Than Love (1989)
- Badmotorfinger (1991)
- Superunknown (1994)
- Down on the Upside (1996)
- King Animal (2012)
- Pearl Jam
- Binaural (2000)
- Riot Act (2002)
- Pearl Jam (2006)
- Backspacer (2009)
- Lightning Bolt (2013)
- Gigaton (2020)
- Dark Matter (2024)
- Solo
- Cavedweller (2017)
