Eddie Vedder (born in Evanston, Illinois as Edward Louis Seversen III on 23 December 1964) is the lead singer, lyricist, guitarist and frontman for the band Pearl Jam. He also plays several other instruments, including the ukelele and the harmonica.

While in Seattle to audition for what became Pearl Jam, Vedder sang in Temple of the Dog, a tribute to the Seattle musician Andrew Wood. Wood was the singer in Mother Love Bone before dying of a drug overdose in March 1990. Before that, Vedder was a member of the Southern California band Bad Radio.

In addition to playing with Pearl Jam, Vedder has performed and recorded with numerous well-known artists, including Bad Religion, Fastbacks, Neil Finn, Jack Irons, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Cat Power, R.E.M., Supersuckers , Mike Watt, Wellwater Conspiracy and The Who. Sometimes he uses the pseudonym of "Wes C. Addle".

Vedder spent his difficult childhood in Evanston, near Chicago, Illinois. After his parents divorced in 1965, when Eddie was only one year old, Vedder's mother married a man named Peter Mueller. It would be years until Vedder would discover that Mueller was not his real father. In the mid-1970s, the family, including Vedder's three younger brothers, moved to San Diego County, California. It was at this point that Eddie, who had received a guitar from his mother on his 12th birthday, began turning to music as a source of comfort. At 15, Vedder was already living by himself, having replaced the name "Mueller" with his mother's maiden name "Vedder" after her second divorce. Eddie had also learned about his real father by this point, a man whom Eddie had met before without knowing their familial relations. Working at a Long's Drug Store in Encinitas, he eventually dropped out of school and moved back to Chicago, where his mother and brothers were already living.

In 1984 he returned to San Diego together with his girlfriend (now ex-wife) Beth Liebling . While taking on various jobs, including an attendant's position at a local gas station, Vedder kept busy recording demo tapes at his home. Soon, the rather shy artist became the singer of Bad Radio. After he quit that band, he was given a tape from Seattle musician Stone Gossard by Jack Irons, one of Vedder's friends and former drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Vedder recorded vocals for three of the unfinished songs, the so-called Mamasan tape, which got him the job in the band to be known as Pearl Jam.

Vedder is known to like surfing and is a fan of The Who and The Ramones. He and his ex-girlfriend Jill McCormick have a daughter, Olivia, born on 11 June 2004.

Eddie is single, but has a new girlfriend named "Bethany". He has been seen with her in Hawaii, Las Vegas and New Zealand. A very reliable source tells us that " the two met backstage in 2003" and never lost touch. She teaches 2nd grade in Seattle. Bethany is 29 years of age.

Songs by other artists referring to Eddie Vedder

Local H has a song called "Eddie Vedder" on their album As Good as Dead. The song refers to Vedder in its chorus.

Weird Al Yankovic has a song called "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder" on his album Running With Scissors. It refers to Vedder throughout the song.

The Rugburns have a song called "Me and Eddie Vedder" on their album "Morning Wood".

External links

• Eddie Vedder and Neil Young - Collaborations and Influences
• E.V.'s Life Story - Excerpt from an article about his life
• Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam's official web site