Eddie Vedder Biography

Fast Facts

• Lived with seven younger foster siblings while growing up in Illinois
• Moved to San Diego in the mid-'70s
• Changed name to Vedder, his mother's maiden name, after learning his father is actually his stepfather
• Earned GED in early '80s and briefly attended community college outside Chicago
• Sang in the band Indian Style, which included future Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk
• Sang vocals on "Hunger Strike," a song on the eponymous (and only) album from Temple of the Dog, a band that featured Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament (formerly of Mother Love Bone), Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron, and guitarist Mike McCready
• Reteamed with Gossard, Ament and McCready to form Pearl Jam in 1990, Dave Kruson was brought in as the drummer
• Released first album, Ten, in August 1991; it eventually sold 12 million copies
• After Kurt Cobain, was the most identifiable figure of the Seattle music scene of the 1990s, a distinction---along with the accompanying rock-star label---he stridently attempted to quash
• Developed a dislike for the practices of Ticketmaster and began a lengthy feud with the company by refusing to play at venues where Ticketmaster promoted shows and sold tickets
• Appeared on albums with The Who, Neil Young and The Ramones