Pearl Jam’s longest-tenured drummer, Matt Cameron, is leaving Pearl Jam.
Announcing the news this morning to Pearl Jam’s official social media, Cameron shared a statement, alongside a statement from the band.
“After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam,” he 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 remaining band members - Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament - also shared a statement in the same social media post.
“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,” they wrote.
“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 joined Pearl Jam in 1998, around a year after Soundgarden disbanded, and has played on all of their albums since 1000’s Binaural, making him the longest-standing drummer with the band.
Previously, he also was also the drummer for Soundgarden from 1986 until they broke up in 1997 - and from 2010 til 2017 when the band reunited.
Cameron was inducted not once but twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, first in 2017 for his contributions to Pearl Jam, and again this year for his work with Soundgarden.
It hasn’t been revealed what Cameron’s next moves are, or who’s set to replace him.
Naturally, there’s been plenty of fan speculation about a potential 'wife-swap' scenario, with people wondering if Josh Freese will join Pearl Jam and Matt Cameron will jump over to Foo Fighters. But personally, I’m not convinced that’s how things will play out.
What we do know is that the remaining members of Pearl Jam clearly have a lotta love for Cameron. We’re keen to see what his next moves are.
