Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese is fuming after learning he was left out of the band’s 2017 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Abbruzzese, who played a key role in some of Pearl Jam’s most successful years, expressed his disappointment at being excluded from the honour, despite his significant contributions during the band’s early rise.
The Hall of Fame ceremony, scheduled for April 2017, will see Pearl Jam’s current members—Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Matt Cameron—inducted alongside music legends like Tupac Shakur, Joan Baez, and Journey.
According to the Hall of Fame’s rules, only members active during a band’s most influential period are eligible for induction. Despite this, Abbruzzese, who performed with the group from 1991 to 1994 and played on two of their chart-topping albums, Vs. and Vitalogy, has been snubbed. He was also a key songwriter during this period, contributing to tracks like “Go,” “Last Exit,” and “Angel.” Abbruzzese was fired before Vitalogy was officially released in 1994.
Outraged by the exclusion, Abbruzzese took to Facebook , sharing a message from a friend that read, “So… Rock & Roll Hall of F**ktardia. Ergh. It makes absolutely zero sense to me… I’m just gonna shove this statement up someone’s arse.”
Adding his own words, the drummer wrote, “I’m not sure how 275+ live shows and 38% of record sales don’t fit their criteria… I may write more about this as time travels on… For now, I look forward to sharing my first solo album with you all. Thank you for your love & support.”
Many Pearl Jam fans were equally enraged by the snub, with one even launching a petition, calling it an “outrage.” Abbruzzese responded to the petition on Facebook, writing, “Thank you for voicing your opinion about this wackiness… I’m truly honoured that so many people are speaking out.”
He continued, “Support like this has me digging the Hall of Fame that I’m currently in—the one where my friends and I are free to enjoy our time, our music, and ourselves. It’s the hall that doesn’t charge tens of thousands of dollars for a seat at the table.”
Meanwhile, Pearl Jam’s current members have remained silent on Abbruzzese’s exclusion, simply tweeting after the announcement: “We are excited to announce Pearl Jam will be inducted into the @RockHall of Fame! #PearlJam #RockHall2017.”
