Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder on stage with Pearl Jam in Pistoia, Italy on
September 20, 2006
Background information
Birth name
Edward Louis Severson III
Also known
as
Ed Vedder
Jerome Turner
Wes C. Addle
Jerome230
Born
December 23, 1964
(1964-12-23)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Genre(s)
Alternative rock, folk rock,
grunge, hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar
Voice type(s)
Baritone
Years active
1986–present
Label(s)
A&M, Epic, J
Associated
acts
Pearl Jam, Bad Radio, Temple
of the Dog, Hovercraft
Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Sever-
son III on December 23, 1964 in Evanston,
Illinois) is an American musician who serves
as the lead singer and one of three guitarists
for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Ved-
der left the Southern California music scene
and moved to Seattle, Washington in 1990 to
join Pearl Jam where he rose to fame amid
the grunge movement of the early 1990s. He
is notable for his "golden baritone" vocal
style,[1] and is considered a cultural icon of
alternative rock.[2] He has also been involved
in other music outside of Pearl Jam, including
soundtrack work and contributions to albums
by other artists. In 2007, Vedder released his
first solo album in the form of the soundtrack
for the film Into the Wild (2007).
Biography
Early life
Eddie Vedder was born Edward Louis Sever-
son III in the Chicago suburb of Evanston,
Illinois, the son of Karen Lee Vedder and Ed-
ward Louis Severson, Jr.[3] His father was a
lounge musician.[4] His parents divorced in
1965, when Vedder was one-year-old. His
mother soon remarried a man named Peter
Mueller, an attorney, and Vedder was raised
believing that Mueller was his biological fath-
er. His adopted name became Edward
Mueller.[5] While living in Evanston, Vedder’s
family fostered seven younger children in a
group home.[6]
In the mid-1970s, the family, including
Vedder’s three younger half-brothers, moved
to San Diego County, California. It was at this
point that Vedder, who had received a guitar
from his mother on his twelfth birthda