Matt Cameron exits Pearl Jam after 27 years as longest-serving drummer

Pearl Jam member Matt Cameron has announced he will be leaving the band after 27 years as their drummer.

“After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam. 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,” Cameron wrote on social media.

Pearl Jam’s remaining members, Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Jeff Ament, released their own statement and thanked Cameron for his commitment to the band for nearly three decades.

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“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. 

“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.”

— Matt Cameron

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“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,” their statement read.

Cameron became a member of Pearl Jam in 1998 following the break-up of his former music group, Soundgarden, in 1997. Cameron is Pearl Jam’s longest-serving drummer and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.