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Stone Gossard, the guitarist and founding member of Pearl Jam, has turned 60, marking another milestone for one of the key musicians who helped shape the Seattle rock scene and the grunge movement of the 1990s.
Born July 20, 1966, Gossard became a major figure in rock music through his work with Pearl Jam, but his story began years before the band became a global success. His career includes influential Seattle groups such as Green River and Mother Love Bone, as well as Temple of the Dog and Brad.
Today, Gossard remains active in music. He continues to play guitar, write songs, work in the studio and support new artists through his record label, Loosegroove Records.
His 60th birthday also comes at an interesting time for Pearl Jam. The band's future live lineup has become a major topic among rock fans following Matt Cameron's departure.
During a May 21 interview with Jonathan Cohen on Pearl Jam Radio on Sirius XM, Gossard said the group already knows who will take over behind the drum kit but is keeping the identity secret.
“I love the mystery of it all. It’s so exciting,” Gossard said, according to Pearl Jame Online. “There’s not enough mystery in the world. I think the band is super pumped that we’re actually getting to go play. It’s been a minute, and the fact that we’re doing it at Ohana just makes it even more special. And the fact that nobody knows who’s gonna be on drums with us? That just makes it even more wild. It’s our mystery wrapped in an enigma, and we’re just soaking it in right now.”
Stone Gossard's Role in Pearl Jam and the Grunge Era
Gossard's musical journey started in Seattle's growing rock scene. He joined Green River, a band formed with Jeff Ament, Mark Arm and Alex Vincent. The group released Come on Down in 1985, followed by Dry As a Bone in 1987 and Rehab Doll in 1988.
Green River later broke up, but its influence continued to grow as the Seattle music scene developed. The band has been described as one of the first grunge groups.
After Green River, Gossard and Ament became part of Mother Love Bone with Andrew Wood, Bruce Fairweather and Greg Gilmore. The band released the Shine EP in 1989 and recorded its debut album, Apple. However, Wood died after a heroin overdose in 1990, bringing Mother Love Bone to an end.
The loss led to the creation of Temple of the Dog, a project formed as a tribute to Wood. Chris Cornell, Wood's former roommate, helped lead the project, while Gossard, Ament, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron were among those involved. Eddie Vedder also contributed vocals, including a duet with Cornell on “Hunger Strike.”
For Gossard, the project remains a standout moment in his career. He praised the musicians involved and the creative freedom they had while making the record.
“Why? Well, because you have an incredible singer-songwriter in Chris Cornell who knows how to do it, and he knows how to let you be you, and you have Matt Cameron, who [explicit] needs one drum take to make it,” he said, per Far Out Magazine. “Both of those guys at the peak of their powers and inviting us to be part of the process, and we brought something that was special to those guys because Soundgarden was pretty rigid.”
Pearl Jam was formed in 1990 by Gossard, Ament and McCready. Vedder later joined the group, which originally performed under the name Mookie Blaylock before changing its name.
The band's 1991 debut album, Ten, pushed Pearl Jam into the mainstream and became one of the best-selling alternative albums of the 1990s. Gossard was a major creative force on the record, having musically written or co-written eight of its 11 tracks, including “Alive,” “Even Flow” and “Black.”
Pearl Jam went on to release albums including Vs., Vitalogy, No Code, Yield, Binaural, Riot Act, Pearl Jam, Backspacer, Lightning Bolt, Gigaton and Dark Matter, which arrived in April 2024.
Gossard and Pearl Jam's work earned lasting recognition. Pearl Jam was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Gossard and McCready were also included in Rolling Stone's 2023 list of the 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, ranking at No. 124.
Gossard's work extends well beyond Pearl Jam. He joined Brad in 1992 and played on several albums with the Seattle group. He also performed with members of Pearl Jam on Neil Young's 1995 album Mirror Ball and joined Young's backing band for a European tour.
As a solo artist, Gossard released Bayleaf in 2001 and Moonlander in 2013. He also worked on Painted Shield, a side project with singer-songwriter Mason Jennings that eventually released its debut album in 2021.
Gossard has also spent years working behind the scenes. He co-founded Loosegroove Records with Brad member Regan Hagar in 1994. The label became independent in 1996 and signed emerging artists, including Queens of the Stone Age, whose debut album was released through Loosegroove in 1998.
As Stone Gossard turns 60, his story remains closely tied to the history of Seattle rock, the rise of grunge and the enduring career of Pearl Jam.
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