Eddie Vedder addressed Pearl Jam’s ex-drummers during the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech at Barclays Center.
Vedder said, “How lucky I was to meet Jack Irons.”
“He also is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he is here tonight.”
Vedder pointed out Irons, and said he wouldn’t be here without him.
“Jack, thanks so much, and thanks for your friendship.”
He then addressed the elephant that was not in the room, Dave Abbruzzese.
“Somehow we were so fortunate, we had a few drummers.”
Vedder added, “They were all kings. We were so fortunate, every one of them was great.”
“We have the great Dave Abbruzzese, he is a great fucking drummer.”
He said Matt Cameron though has kept them going, and become one of their ‘brothers.’ He said that Matt will definitely be back with his other band, Soundgarden, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Vedder later said when introducing keyboardist Boom Gaspar: “He should have been in too.”
He also gave Matt Chamberlain, who briefly drummed for Pearl Jam in 1991, a shoutout. Dave Abbruzzese released a statement claiming he was not invited to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which you can read by clicking here. Despite Abbruzzese’s disappointment, he did congratulate his former bandmates on their Hall of Fame induction.
