By 1993, Pearl Jam was at the height of their fame, but not everyone in the band felt comfortable with the rock star lifestyle that came with it.
In a Rolling Stone cover story, writer Cameron Crowe described a group of musicians conflicted about their success, going as far as to avoid releasing singles and rejecting MTV music videos to sidestep mainstream attention.
However, one member stood out for having a different attitude toward their fame: drummer Dave Abbruzzese. He joined the band in 1991, just after Ten was recorded, and held a more enthusiastic view of the rock star life.
“When I was younger, I thought if a band sold a million records, they’d all celebrate together,” Abbruzzese shared. Yet, in Pearl Jam, that celebration never happened as a group. “I still get excited, but I end up celebrating by myself,” he added, reflecting the disconnect he felt with his bandmates.
Abbruzzese’s embrace of the typical rock star lifestyle, including partying, fast cars, and living in the spotlight, clashed with the rest of the band’s more reserved approach.
Bassist Jeff Ament once commented, “Dave was different from us. We didn’t always see eye to eye, especially in terms of personality. He was more comfortable with the typical rock star image—things the rest of us weren’t interested in.”
This growing divide eventually led to Abbruzzese’s firing from Pearl Jam in 1994, a decision that left him heartbroken. The sense of exclusion deepened in 2016 when he was left out of the band’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Abbruzzese took to social media to express his frustration, stating, “The guys in Pearl Jam know what the right thing to do is. Ignoring my contributions doesn’t make sense, whether they like me or not.”
The Hall of Fame ceremony served as a reminder of the lingering rift between Abbruzzese and his former bandmates, highlighting unresolved tensions despite his early impact on Pearl Jam’s rise to fame.
