Eddie Vedder

Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter.

He is the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and one of three guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam.

He was previously a guest vocalist for supergroup Temple of the Dog, a tribute band dedicated to the late singer Andrew Wood.

Vedder, who is known for his powerful baritone vocals, was ranked seventh on a list of "Best Lead Singers of All Time," based on a readers' poll compiled by Rolling Stone.

Vedder was born Edward Louis Severson III on December 23, 1964 in Evanston, Illinois, to Karen Lee Vedder and Edward Louis Severson Jr.

His parents divorced in 1965 when Vedder was an infant.

His mother soon remarried to a man named Peter Mueller.

Vedder was raised believing that Mueller was his biological father, and he went by the name Edward Mueller for a time.

Vedder's ancestry includes Dutch, German, English, and Danish on his mother's side (Vedder) and Norwegian on his father's side (Severson).

While living in Evanston, Vedder's family fostered seven younger children in a group home.

In the mid-1970s, the family, including Vedder's three younger half-brothers, moved to San Diego County, California.

He especially found solace in The Who's 1973 album, Quadrophenia.

He said, "When I was around 15 or 16...I was all alone—except for music."

His mother and Mueller divorced when Vedder was in his late teens.

His mother and brothers moved back to the Chicago area, but Vedder remained with his stepfather in California so he did not have to change schools.

After the divorce, Vedder learned the truth about his parentage and that Mueller was really his stepfather, not his father.

Vedder met his biological father briefly as a child, but was led to believe that Severson was merely an old friend of his parents.

By the time Vedder learned the truth, Severson had died of multiple sclerosis.

During his senior year at San Dieguito High School, Vedder moved out to live in an apartment, supported himself with a nightly job at a drug store in Encinitas.

Because of the pressure of work and school, Vedder dropped out of high school.

He joined the rest of his family in the Chicago area, and changed his last name to Vedder, his mother's maiden name.

In the early 1980s, while working as a waiter, Vedder earned his high school GED from Oakton Community College.

In the 1980s, Vedder worked part time as a night attendant at a local gas station.

Through the Southern California music scene, Vedder met former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons, who became a friend and would play basketball with him.

In 1984, Vedder returned to San Diego with his girlfriend Beth Liebling and his friend Frank.

While living in the San Diego area, Vedder recorded demo tapes at his home and worked various jobs, including as a contracted security guard at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla.

Vedder had several stints in San Diego area bands, including Surf and Destroy and the Butts.

One of those bands, called Indian Style, included future Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk.

In 1988, Vedder became the vocalist for Bad Radio, a San Diego-based progressive funk rock band.

The band's original incarnation was influenced by Duran Duran; however, after Vedder joined, the band moved to a more alternative rock sound influenced in part by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Later in 1990, Irons gave him the demo tape of a Seattle band looking for a singer.

Vedder listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him.

He wrote lyrics for three of the songs in what he later described as a "mini-opera" entitled Momma-Son.

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, grows up to become a serial killer, and is eventually imprisoned and sentenced to death.

Vedder recorded vocals for the three songs, and mailed the demo tape back to Seattle.

In 2007, Vedder released his first solo album as a soundtrack for the film Into the Wild (2007).

His second album, Ukulele Songs, and a live DVD titled Water on the Road were released in 2011.

His third solo album Earthling was released in 2022.

Vedder received a guitar from his mother on his 12th birthday, and began turning to music and surfing as a source of comfort.

In 2017, Vedder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam.