The rock legend

1. Eddie Vedder
EARLY WORK
Vedder had several stints in San Diego area bands. One included future Rage Against the
Machine and Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk.[6] Another one was a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover/tribute band.
[7] In 1988, the rather shy singer became the vocalist for the San Diego progressive funk-rock band Bad Radio.
During his time with Bad Radio he penned and performed the song "Better Man", a song based on the relationship
between his mother and his stepfather. This song would later become a hit for Pearl Jam.
After leaving Bad Radio in 1990, Vedder's friend and former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons gave him a
demo tape from a band in Seattle that was looking for a singer. Vedder recorded vocals for three of the songs,
which later became Pearl Jam's "Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps". Vedder wrote the song lyrics as a mini-opera
which he called the "Mamasan trilogy". The songs tell the story of a young man who, like Vedder, learns that he
had been lied to about his paternity and that his real father is dead ("Alive"). He grows up to become a serial
killer ("Once"), and is eventually imprisoned and sentenced to death ("Footsteps").[8]
After hearing the tape, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament invited Vedder to come to Seattle to
audition for the band that soon became Pearl Jam. They were instantly impressed with his unique sound and the
fact that he knew a little about Andrew Wood.
Very soon after joining Pearl Jam, even before recording Ten, Vedder was brought in to provide backing vocals on
the Temple of the Dogalbum, a tribute to late Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood that featured members of
both Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
His Work: Pearl Jam and Others
Although best known as a vocalist, Vedder also plays several musical instruments. He plays guitar on many Pearl
Jam songs, beginning with "Rearviewmirror" and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" from Vs. He
has also contributed performances on theukulele, the drums, cowbell, harmonica, accordion, and sitar to various
Pearl Jam recordings. At concerts Vedder often brings out atambourine for the final songs of the show, and casts
it into the crowd at the end. Vedder has two pedals for his guitar, one is marked "Soap" (Clean tone) and the
other is "Dirt" (Distortion).[9]
On Pearl Jam records, Vedder uses the pseudonym "Jerome Turner" for his non-musical (usually design and
artwork) contributions. He has also sometimes used the pseudonym of "Wes C. Addle" ("West Seattle").
Vedder began incorporating political statements into his performances early in his career with Pearl Jam. At
concerts he often pauses between songs to engage in brief political commentary. During Pearl Jam's 1992
appearance on MTV Unplugged, Vedder stood atop his stool, took out a marker pen, and wrote PRO-CHOICE down
his arm in large letters. Pearl Jam performed a Rock for Choice benefit concert in Pensacola, Florida in March of
1994, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the assassination of local abortion provider Dr. David Gunn.
Pearl Jam were one of the headliners of the 2004 Vote for Change Tour.
Vedder is known for playing "presets" at Pearl Jam shows, coming onstage with just a guitar (sometimes with a
harmonica) and playing one or two songs to warm up the audience for the opening band. The songs performed
during this part of the set are frequently slower acoustic songs such as "Long Road" and Cat Stevens's "Trouble".
Many of these songs are not frequently on the Pearl Jam set list, giving audiences a chance to hear material in a
more intimate manner.
OTHER WORK
In addition to playing with Pearl Jam, and Temple of The Dog, Vedder has performed or recorded with numerous
well-known artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, U2, Alice in Chains,Soundgarden, Ben
Harper, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Neil Finn, Beck,Mike Ness, Lyle Workman, Presidents of the United States of

2. America, Mark Seymour, Robert Plant, Bad Religion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., Rolling Stones, The
Strokes, Victoria Williams, My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, Sonic Youth, The Who, Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Supersuckers, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Supergrass,Ministry, Chris Cornell, Jack
Johnson, Ramones, Iggy Pop, Gary Heffern, Cat Power, Zeke, Peter Frampton, G.E. Smith, Wolfmother,Sleater-
Kinney, Mike Watt and the remaining members of The Doors.
Vedder has inducted The Doors, Neil Young, the Ramones, and R.E.M.into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He has contributed solo material to several soundtracks and compilations, including the soundtracks for the
films Dead Man Walking and I Am Sam. Vedder wrote two songs for the 2007 feature documentary Body of
War produced by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue: "No More" (a song referring to the Iraq War) and "Long Nights". He
will also be contributing an album's worth of songs to the soundtrackfor the 2007 film Into the Wild including a
cover of the Indio song "Hard Sun".[10]
Vedder appeared in the 1992 movie Singles as himself, in lead actorMatt Dillon's backing band, Citizen Dick. In
2007, he will make a cameo as himself in the upcoming film Walk Hard.