Pearl
Jam was born from the ashes of Mother Love Bone after lead singer Andrew
Wood overdosed on heroin. Love Bone guitarist Stone Gossard and Bass player
Jeff Ament ventured out and found Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder, and Dave
Krusan and formed Mookie Blaylock which was later renamedPearl Jam. Rumor
has it they band took their name from lead singer Eddie Vedder's Grandma
Pearls' home made jam.
Based
at the center of the Seattle Grunge scene Pearl Jam found a willing Epic
records to sign them to a deal. Their First album Ten
was released in 1991, and was a huge success with several singles receiving
heavy airplay on Mtv, and radio.
Not
realizing that they had in fact become the main stream, Pearl Jam decided
to spit success in the face with a claim of not being sell outs by refusing
to make any music videos for their second album Vs.
which
hit the streets in 1993. But the record Sold, sold, and sold some more.
Then
the now famous show down with Ticket Master occurred in support of
Vs.
The band protested Ticket Master's "monopoly" of the ticket business, by
canceling their summer tour.
Always
wanting to be different. The band used a gimmick with the release of their
third Album Vitalogy by
making the initial copies available on vinyl only, later releasing the
Album on CD and Cassette. Once again Pearl Jam had a multi-platnum album.
Vitalogy
was followed by 1996's No Code.
Two years later Yieldwas
released, followed by a world tour in 1998.
Highly
competent musicians with a unique dark sound and style Pearl Jam has left
its mark on rock history. Still refusing to be considered mainstream Pearl
Jam marches on in the Decade where refusing to be mainstream is mainstream.
For
a Time Line History of Pearl Jam visit their site at the Epic
Center
Written by Keavin
Wiggins (Managing Editor)
