Pick a Day

Rock drummer Jack Irons (of Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers) is born in Los Angeles, California.

Matt Cameron (drummer for Pearl Jam, Soundgarden) is born in San Diego, California.

Jeff Ament (bassist for Pearl Jam) is born in Havre, Montana.

Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam frontman) is born Edward Louis Severson III in Evanston, Illinois. The surname Vedder comes from his mom's maiden name.

Alt rock guitarist Mike McCready (of Pearl Jam) is born in Pensacola, Florida.

Stone Gossard (rhythm guitarist for Pearl Jam) is born in Seattle, Washington.

Dave Abbruzzese, drummer for Pearl Jam on their albums Vs. and Vitalogy, is born in Stamford, Connecticut, raised in Mesquite, Texas.

Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone, dies of a heroin overdose at age 24. Members of the band go on to form Pearl Jam.More

Eddie Vedder is selected as lead vocalist of what will become Pearl Jam after Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready hear his demo tape where he added vocals to three instrumental tracks the band had recorded.

Eddie Vedder does some surfing, writes some lyrics, and adds his vocals to three instrumental tracks recorded by the guys he would later join in Pearl Jam. The songs become "Alive," "Once" and "Footsteps."

The band Mookie Blaylock, soon be known as Pearl Jam, make their stage debut at The Off Ramp in Seattle. In the audience are members of Soundgarden and Seattle Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson.

Eddie Vedder flies from his home in San Diego to Seattle, where he meets his Pearl Jam bandmates for the first time and starts a week of recording that becomes the bulk of their debut album, Ten. Vedder was chosen based on vocals he added to a three-song instrumental demo the band made.More

Soundgarden perform at the Gathering of the Tribes festival in Costa Mesa, California. In the crowd is Eddie Vedder, who the next day flies to Seattle and meets his Pearl Jam bandmates for the first time. Vedder and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden end up recording vocals together that day for the song "Hunger Strike" as part of the Temple of the Dog project.

At the Off Ramp in Seattle, Temple of the Dog play their only show. Comprised of members of Soundgarden and what would become Pearl Jam, the group was formed as a tribute to Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose.

At the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Pearl Jam, still known as Mookie Blaylock, open for Alice in Chains. Chris Cornell comes on stage and puts Eddie Vedder on his shoulders at one point.

Director Cameron Crowe brings members of the cast and crew of his movie Singles to the Off Ramp in Seattle, where Pearl Jam, who appear in the film, are playing. Matt Dillon and Campbell Scott hang out with the band all night, but the real Seattle scene is a little too grungy for the other actors, who leave early.

Pearl Jam begin recording their debut album, Ten, at London Bridge Studios in Seattle.

Mookie Blaylock (the band) go on the Seattle radio station KISW and announce they are changing their name to Pearl Jam, inspired by the jamming they saw at a Neil Young concert a few weeks earlier.

The Temple of the Dog album is released. The one-off project is a tribute to Andrew Wood, the Mother Love Bone lead singer who died in 1990. Temple of the Dog is comprised of Soundgarden members Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron, along with Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.More

Pearl Jam release their debut album, Ten, which launches them to stardom and puts them in the forefront of the Seattle grunge movement.More

Pearl Jam play the club RKCNDY in Seattle. The show is filmed and used to create their first video - for the song "Alive." The audio from the show is used in the video, as the band hates the idea of lip-syncing.More

Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off their Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour with a show in Madison, Wisconsin. Their opening acts are Smashing Pumpkins and a new band called Pearl Jam.

Pearl Jam are the musical guests on Saturday Night Live, where they perform two songs and gape at host Sharon Stone.More

Pearl Jam play a free concert at Magnuson Park in Seattle where they register thousands of fans to vote in the upcoming election between Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.

Cameron Crowe's film Singles hits theaters in the US. While at first glance, the movie could be seen as an epilogue to all those teen angst films of the '80s with the cast of offbeat and quirky rebels and outcasts moving through early adulthood with no less angst than before, it quickly proves to be much more than a post-adolescent coming-of-age flick. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden appear.More

Pearl Jam play Neil Young's Bridge School benefit concert for the first time. The event takes place at the Shoreline Amphitheater outside of San Francisco.

Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" video wins four awards, including Video of the Year, at the MTV Video Music Awards. Pearl Jam responds by not making any more videos until 1998.More

Pearl Jam pay tribute to Kurt Cobain, who was found dead a week earlier, on Saturday Night Live with a performance of "Daughter" that ends with lead singer Eddie Vedder opening up his jacket to reveal a "K" on his T-shirt.

Pearl Jam visit the White House, where they meet with President Bill Clinton. The band push for reforms to rein in Ticketmaster, while Clinton looks for help crafting an official statement on Kurt Cobain, who was found dead the previous day.

About 300 radio stations accept Pearl Jam's offer to broadcast their concert at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta for free. It goes over so well, the band does a series of similar broadcasts over the next few years, bringing a steady stream of live music to their fans.