Dave Krusen was hired as the full-time drummer shortly thereafter, completing the original lineup.
Thanks to future Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons, the demo found its way to a 25-year-old San Diego surfer named Eddie Vedder, who overdubbed vocals and original lyrics and was subsequently invited to join the group (then christened Mookie Blaylock after the NBA player). After Mother Love Bone's vocalist, Andrew Wood, overdosed on heroin in 1990, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament assembled a new band, bringing in Mike McCready on lead guitar and recording a demo with Soundgarden's Matt Cameron on drums. Pearl Jam emerged from the ashes of Mother Love Bone, a hard rock band who missed their shot at the big time. The group's inclination to follow a winding path meant that by the time Pearl Jam left the 1990s, they were no longer ruling rock music the way they did at the start of the decade - a period when Ten, Vs., and Vitalogy sat at the top of the charts as they racked up millions of sales - but were left with an enormous and devoted cult that allowed the band the freedom to experiment while remaining true to their rock & roll ideals. Vedder's emotional acuity remained a touchstone for Pearl Jam throughout the years, giving the band's unpredictable business moves, such as their mid-'90s battle with Ticketmaster, and embrace of controversial causes genuine heft. Much of this earnestness stemmed from Eddie Vedder, a lead singer of uncommon charisma and passion who helped the group's arena rock moves seem intimate. Unlike many of their Seattle brethren, Pearl Jam, as a collective, were never signed or affiliated with an indie label - founding members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament both were veterans of Green River, one of the first major bands on Sub Pop, though - and in an age defined by irony, they were unflaggingly sincere.
Pearl Jam rose above the legions of grungy alt-rockers littering the early '90s to become the most popular and enduring American rock & roll band of their time.