Bang the drum slowly: Matt Cameron is leaving Pearl Jam after 27 years.
The San Diego native announced Monday that he is departing from the famed Seattle band, which he joined in 1998. His decision comes just four months before the Bonita Vista High School and Southwestern College alum will become only the second drummer — Ringo Starr is the first — to become a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cameron was inducted as a member of Pearl Jam in 2017. On Nov. 8 he will be inducted as a member of Soundgarden, the long-dormant Seattle band he drummed in for more than a decade before joining Pearl Jam.
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Cameron, 62, announced his decision Monday on social media. He saluted his Pearl Jam band mates, which include two former San Diegans — lead singer Eddie Vedder and lead guitarist Mike McCready — bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard.
“After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam.” Cameron wrote. “Much love and respect to Jeff, Ed, Mike and Stone for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, filled with friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter. I am forever grateful to the crew, staff and fans the world over. It’s been an incredible journey. More to follow. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
The other four members of Peal Jam responded with a post of their own.
“From being one of our first musical heroes in the bands Skinyard and the mighty Soundgarden, to playing on our first demos in 1990, Matt Cameron has been a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer,” the band wrote in a joint statement. “He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings. It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always. He will be deeply missed and is forever our friend in art and music. We love you Matt.”
Cameron was Pearl Jam’s fifth drummer, He has yet to explain why he decided to leave the group — or offer any clues to what his future plans may entail.
But he played in an array of bands before and during his tenure in Pearl Jam, including the jazz-funk trio Harrybu McCage and the proudly left-of-center Wellwater Conspiracy, in which he drummed, sang and played guitar and bass.
“I always try to keep my playing interesting and fresh, no matter what band I’m in,” Cameron said in a 2001 San Diego Union-Tribune interview. “As a drummer I try to bring that (approach) to every situation I’m in, although it doesn’t always work.”
His voluntary departure from Pearl Jam comes in a year that has seen two major bands undergo sudden upheavals with their drummers.
In May, Foo Fighters abruptly fired its drummer, Josh Freese, with no explanation. In April, The Who fired its drummer, Zak Starkey — Ringo Starr’s son — then rehired him, only to fire him again in May. In theory, both Freese and Starkey could now be candidates to replace Cameron in Pearl Jam.