Matthew David Cameron (born November 28, 1962) is an American musician who is the drummer for the rock band Pearl Jam. He first gained fame as the drummer for Seattle-based rock band

Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamo ...

, which he joined in 1986. He appeared on each of the band's studio albums until its break-up in 1997. In 1998, Cameron was invited to join Pearl Jam's U.S.

Yield Tour The Yield Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its fifth album, '' Yield''. History Pearl Jam promoted ''Yield'' with tours in Oceania, and North America in 1998. Following the tour of Australia and before its s ...

and then became a permanent member of the band. In 2010, Cameron became simultaneously a member of Pearl Jam and the reunited Soundgarden. He remained with Soundgarden until its disbandment after the death of lead singer

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell (né Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist and songwriter for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave ...

in 2017. Cameron, along with guitarist

Kim Thayil Kim Anand Thayil (born September 4, 1960) is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil ...

and Cornell, is one of three members to feature on every Soundgarden studio album. Additionally, Cameron was a member of

Temple of the Dog Temple of the Dog was an American rock supergroup that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. It was conceived by vocalist Chris Cornell of Soundgarden as a tribute to his friend, the late Andrew Wood, lead singer of the bands Malfunkshun ...

(with fellow Soundgarden and Pearl Jam bandmates) and has served as the drummer for the side project bands Nighttime Boogie Association,

Hater Hater or Haters may refer to: Books * ''Hater'', 2006 novel by David Moody * ''Haters'' (novel), a 2006 novel by author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez Film and TV * '' H8R'', a 2011 American reality television show on the CW * ''The Haters'' (2015 fi ...

and

Wellwater Conspiracy Wellwater Conspiracy was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993. The band was created by members of the grunge-era side project Hater. Wellwater Conspiracy featured Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron and ex- Monster Mag ...

, also acting as the lead singer for the latter. Prior to joining Soundgarden, Cameron was a member of the Seattle rock bands Bam Bam and

Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on several of their grunge contemporaries, including Soundgarden, Screaming ...

. In 2016, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked Cameron 52nd on its list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time". He was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

as a member of Pearl Jam on April 7, 2017. Cameron has won two

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

as a member of Soundgarden.

Early life

Matt Cameron was born and raised in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

, California. Cameron began playing drums at an early age. At the age of thirteen, he and some friends played in a cover band called "Kiss" (with the word ''imitation'' written underneath the name, in

small print Fine print, small print, or mouseprint is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service. The larger print that is us ...

). During this stint, he met

Paul Stanley Paul Stanley (born Stanley Bert Eisen; January 20, 1952) is an American musician who is the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popula ...

. However, after a letter from the management of the band

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

threatened the boys with legal action if they did not cease their infringement, the band melted away. Cameron attended

Bonita Vista High School Bonita Vista High School (BVH) is a public, four-year (grade levels 9–12) high school located in the city of Chula Vista, California. It is part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, and offers both Advanced Placement and International ...

. In 1978, under the pseudonym "Foo Cameron", Cameron sang the song "Puberty Love", which was featured in the movie ''

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes ''Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'' is a 1978 American parody film produced by J. Stephen Peace and John DeBello, and directed by John DeBello based upon an original idea by Costa Dillon. The screenplay was written by Dillon, Peace, and DeBello ...

''. The nickname "Foo" came from Cameron's older brother Pete, who pronounced Matthew as "Ma Foo".

Musical career

Skin Yard (1983–1986)

In 1983, Cameron moved to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

, Washington, where he got a job working at a

Kinko's FedEx Office Print & Ship Services Inc. (doing business as FedEx Office; formerly FedEx Kinko's, and earlier simply Kinko's) is an American retail chain that provides an outlet for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground (including Home Delivery) shippin ...

. His first professional work as drummer was for Bam Bam, fronted by lead singer

Tina Bell Tina Marie Bell (February 5, 1957 – October 10, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter and front woman of the Seattle-based band Bam Bam. The band with Bell was considered one of the founders of the grunge music scene. Bell is considered a ...

and guitarist Tommy Martin, the parents of documentary film director TJ Martin. He next played in the local instrumental band feeDBack with musician Daniel House. Following feeDBack, Cameron joined House in 1985 in the newly formed

. The band had been formed in January 1985 by House and

Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhoney, ...

. Cameron stayed with the group for almost a year. In 1986, Skin Yard contributed two songs to the now-legendary '' Deep Six'' compilation. This album was the first to showcase the early

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

sound. The band released its first album in 1986, the eponymous ''

''. Cameron wrote the song "Reptile" for the band, which appears on its first record. (More of Cameron's work with Skin Yard can be found on the 2001 rarities compilation, '' Start at the Top''.) Shortly after the release of ''Skin Yard'', Cameron left the band, later joining

Soundgarden (1986–1997; 2010–2017)

By September 1986, Cameron had gained so much notoriety in the local music scene that he was chosen to play for Soundgarden, replacing drummer

Scott Sundquist Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yama ...

. Soundgarden was made up of vocalist/guitarist

, guitarist

, and bassist

Hiro Yamamoto Hiro Yamamoto (born April 13, 1961) is an American bassist who was a founding member of grunge band Soundgarden, along with Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell in 1984. He left the band in 1989, and two years later, he started the independent rock ba ...

. Cornell said, "When I first met Matt, he was already the best drummer in town ... He just seemed very confident and well-adjusted." The band signed with the independent label Sub Pop and released the ''

Screaming Life ''Screaming Life'' is the debut EP by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in October 1987 through Sub Pop Records. ''Screaming Life'' was later combined with the band's next EP, '' Fopp'' (1988), and released as the '' Screaming Life/F ...

'' EP in 1987 and the ''

Fopp Fopp may refer to: * "Fopp" (song), a 1975 song by the Ohio Players from ''Honey'' * ''Fopp'' (EP), a 1988 EP by Soundgarden, featuring the song of the same name * '' Screaming Life/Fopp'', a 1990 compilation album by the American rock band Sound ...

'' EP in 1988. In 1988, the band signed with legendary punk record label

SST Records SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was formed in 1966 by Ginn at age 12 as Solid State Tuners, a small business through which he sold electronics equipm ...

and released its debut full-length album ''

Ultramega OK ''Ultramega OK'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 31, 1988 by SST Records. Following the release of the EPs '' Screaming Life'' (1987) and '' Fopp'' (1988), both for the Sub Pop record label, Sound ...

''. The album earned the band its first major award nomination, a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, in 1990. The band subsequently signed with

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

, becoming the first grunge band to sign to a major label. In 1989, the band released its first album for a major label, ''

Louder Than Love ''Louder Than Love'' is the second studio album and major-label debut by American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on September 5, 1989, by A&M Records. After touring in support of their debut album, '' Ultramega OK'' (1988), Soundgarden ...

''. Following the release of ''Louder Than Love'', Yamamoto left the band to finish his master's degree in Physical Chemistry at

Western Washington University Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, succeeding a pri ...

. He was replaced by former

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...

guitarist

Jason Everman Jason Mark Everman (born October 16, 1967) is an American musician and soldier who played guitar with Nirvana and Mind Funk, and bass in Soundgarden and OLD. He later served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army as an Army Ra ...

. Everman was fired following Soundgarden's tour supporting ''Louder Than Love''. In 1990, the band was joined by a new bassist,

Ben Shepherd Hunter Benedict Shepherd (born September 20, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the rock band Soundgarden from 1990 to 2019. Shepherd has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden. Early life Shepherd was bo ...

. The new line-up released ''

Badmotorfinger ''Badmotorfinger'' is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991, through A&M Records. Soundgarden began the recording sessions for the album with new bassist Ben Shepherd in the spring of 1991. The al ...

'' in 1991. The album brought the band to a new level of commercial success, and the band found itself amidst the sudden popularity and attention given to the Seattle music scene and the genre known as grunge. ''Badmotorfinger'' was nominated for a

Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where ...

in 1992. The band's next album was to be its breakthrough. '' Superunknown'', released in 1994, debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and launched several successful singles, including "

Spoonman "Spoonman" is a song by the American band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman, Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 14, 1994, as the first single from the band's fourth studio album ''Superunknown'' (1994). "Spoonman" is c ...

" and "

Black Hole Sun "Black Hole Sun" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, '' Superunknown'' (1994). Considered to be the band's signatu ...

". Cameron's drumming is showcased throughout the album, as he provides the complex backbeat (and plenty of improvisation) to the unusual time signatures present on many of the tracks. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995. Two singles from ''Superunknown'', "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman", won Grammy Awards, and the music video for "Black Hole Sun" won a

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

and a Clio Award. ''Superunknown'' was ranked number 336 on ''

'' magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and "Black Hole Sun" was ranked number 25 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest songs of the '90s. In 1996, the band released its fifth studio album, ''

Down on the Upside ''Down on the Upside'' is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996, through A&M Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, '' Superunknown'' (1994), Soundgarden commenced wo ...

''; while successful, the album could not emulate the precedent set by ''Superunknown''. Tensions within the group arose during the ''Down on the Upside'' sessions, with Thayil and Cornell reportedly clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become the band's trademark. In 1997, Soundgarden received another Grammy nomination, for the lead single "

Pretty Noose "Pretty Noose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman, Chris Cornell, "Pretty Noose" was released in March 1996 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album, ''Down on the Upside'' (1996). The son ...

". In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction. In a 1998 interview, Thayil said, "It was pretty obvious from everybody's general attitude over the course of the previous half-year that there was some dissatisfaction." Cameron later said that Soundgarden was "eaten up by the business." On January 1, 2010, Cornell announced on his Twitter that Soundgarden would be reuniting. The official website relaunched soon thereafter. The band had begun recording a new album in February 2011, which was later released in November 2012, known as King Animal. While a member of Soundgarden, Cameron wrote the following songs for the band: * "He Didn't" (''Ultramega OK'') ... music * "

Jesus Christ Pose "Jesus Christ Pose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in 1991 as the first single from the band's third studio album, ''Badmotorfinger'' (1991). The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, '' A-Sides' ...

" (''Badmotorfinger'') ... music (co-written) * "

Room a Thousand Years Wide "Room a Thousand Years Wide" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by guitarist Kim Thayil and music written by drummer Matt Cameron, the song was released as a single in 1990 through Sub Pop. A re-recorded v ...

" (''Badmotorfinger'') ... music * "Drawing Flies" (''Badmotorfinger'') ... music * "New Damage" (''Badmotorfinger'') ... music (co-written) * "

Birth Ritual Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...

" (''

Singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

) ... music (co-written) * "Exit Stonehenge" ("Spoonman" single) ... music (co-written) * "Mailman" (''Superunknown'') ... music, and played mellotron * "Limo Wreck" (''Superunknown'') ... music (co-written) * "Fresh Tendrils" (''Superunknown'') ... lyrics (co-written) and music * "Jerry Garcia's Finger" ('' Songs from the Superunknown'') ... music (co-written) * " Rhinosaur" (''Down on the Upside'') ... music * "Applebite" (''Down on the Upside'') ... music, and played Moog synthesizer * "A Splice of Space Jam" (" Blow Up the Outside World" single) ... music (co-written) * "By Crooked Steps" (''King Animal'') ... music (co-written) * "Eyelid's Mouth" (''King Animal'') ... music The task of figuring out the time signatures for Soundgarden's songs was usually left to Cameron. Regarding his drumming with Soundgarden, ''

Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. ''Mo ...

'' stated that Cameron "always injected a maturity into Soundgarden's music. His ghost-note grooves and the uncanny ability to make odd time feel like straight time have already earned him status among rock's drumming's elite pacemakers."Peiken, Matt
"Soundgarden's Matt Cameron: Breaking New Ground"
''

''. June 1994. On November 15, 2013, Cameron announced that he would not be touring with Soundgarden in 2014, due to prior commitments promoting Pearl Jam's album '' Lightning Bolt''.

Pearl Jam (1998–present)

Almost a year after Soundgarden's break-up, in summer 1998, Cameron was invited by rock-colleagues Pearl Jam to drum on its U.S.

after the band's drummer

Jack Irons Jack Steven Irons (born July 18, 1962) is an American drummer. He is the founding drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and is a former member of Pearl Jam and Eleven. Alongside his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, Irons ...

left due to the touring scheduling conflicting with his health issues and a desire to spend more time with his family. Cameron had worked with members of the band before on the

project and had helped them record some early instrumental demos in 1990.Greene, Jo-Ann. "Pearl Jam and the Secret History of Seattle Part 2". '' Goldmine''. ''August 1993'' Cameron said, "I got a phone call out of the blue, from Mr. Ed Ved, Stoney and Kelly (Curtis, Pearl Jam's manager). I was ambushed. It was really short notice. He called and said 'hey what are you doing this summer?'"Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". ''Spin''. August 2001. Guitarist

Mike McCready Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. McCready ...

said, "We knew him from being around the same scene and seeing him on tour. It had a lot to do with it. We knew he was a normal cat too, a normal guy."Cartwright, Keith Ryan
"Mike McCready of Pearl Jam"
. theywillrockyou.com. March 2003. Retrieved on September 18, 2008. Cameron learned over 80 songs in two weeks. He was hired on an initially temporary basis, but soon, during the tour, he was invited to become a full-time member. Cameron stated, "The guys made me feel real welcome and it wasn't a struggle to get it musically, but my style was a little bit different, I think, than what they were used to. And they've been through so many different drummers, I don't even know if they knew what they wanted. So, I just kind of played the way I played and then eventually we kind of figured out what worked best for the band." PearlJam01Prague2018

Cameron has since become the longest serving drummer of the band. McCready stated that Cameron has made Pearl Jam "into a way better band." In 1998, Pearl Jam, with Cameron on drums, recorded "

Last Kiss "Last Kiss" is a song released by Wayne Cochran in 1961 on the Gala label. It failed to do well on the charts. Cochran subsequently re-recorded his song for the King label in 1963. It was revived by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, who took ...

", a cover of a 1960s ballad made famous by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. It was released on the band's 1998 fan club Christmas single; however, by popular demand, the cover was released to the public as a single in 1999. "Last Kiss" peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' charts and became the band's highest-charting single. In 2000, the band released its sixth studio album, '' Binaural'', and initiated a successful and ongoing series of official bootlegs. The band released seventy-two such live albums in 2000 and 2001, and set a record for most albums to debut in the ''Billboard'' 200 at the same time. "

Grievance A grievance () is a wrong or hardship suffered, real or supposed, which forms legitimate grounds of complaint In legal terminology, a complaint is any formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of actio ...

" (from ''Binaural'') received a Grammy nomination for

Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards until 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards (1989). The category was ori ...

. The band released its seventh studio album, '' Riot Act'', in 2002. Pearl Jam's contribution to the 2003 film, ''

Big Fish ''Big Fish'' is a 2003 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Tim Burton, and based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Car ...

'', "

Man of the Hour "Man of the Hour" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "Man of the Hour" accompanies the closing credits of the 2003 film ''Big Fish'', and is the first track on the film's soundtrack album. It was r ...

", was nominated for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

in 2004. The band's eighth studio album, the eponymous '' Pearl Jam'', was released in 2006. The band released its ninth studio album, ''

Backspacer ''Backspacer'' is the ninth studio album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on September 20, 2009. The band members started writing instrumental and demo tracks in 2007, and got together the following year to work on an album. It w ...

'', in 2009. Their tenth studio album '' Lightning Bolt'' was released in 2013. Their eleventh studio album ''

Gigaton ''Gigaton'' is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released March 27, 2020. It was preceded by the singles "Dance of the Clairvoyants", "Superblood Wolfmoon" and "Quick Escape". It is the band's first studio album in six ...

'' was released March 27, 2020. In May 2022, Cameron was forced to miss his first shows in 24 years since joining Pearl Jam due to testing positive for the

COVID-19 virus Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a p ...

Josh Klinghoffer Josh Adam Klinghoffer (born October 3, 1979) is an American musician best known for being the guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, with whom he recorded two studio albums, '' I'm with You'' (2011) and '' The Geta ...

and Richard Stuverud filled in on drums for Cameron. Since joining Pearl Jam, Cameron has written the following songs for the band: * "Evacuation" (''Binaural'') ... music * " Save You" (''Riot Act'') ... music (co-written) * "Cropduster" (''Riot Act'') ... music * " You Are" (''Riot Act'') ... lyrics (co-written), music, and played rhythm guitar * "Get Right" (''Riot Act'') ... lyrics and music * "In the Moonlight" (''

Lost Dogs Lost Dogs are an American musical supergroup formed in 1991, comprising vocalists, songwriters, and guitarists from multiple Christian alternative rock bands. Their current lineup includes Terry Scott Taylor (Daniel Amos, the Swirling Eddies) ...

'') ... lyrics and music * "Unemployable" (''Pearl Jam'') ... music (co-written) * " The Fixer" (''Backspacer'') ... music (co-written) * "Johnny Guitar" (''Backspacer'') ... music (co-written) * "Dance of the Clairvoyants" (''Gigaton'') ... music (co-written) * "Take the Long Way" (''Gigaton'') ... lyrics, music, played guitar, and sang background vocals While not as frequent as the other members' written contributions, Cameron's are held in high regard by the band, as are his performances. In the liner notes of the 2003 ''Lost Dogs'' compilation, Pearl Jam vocalist

Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...

says:

Matt Cameron writes songs and we run to find step stools in order to reach his level, ... what comes naturally to him leaves us with our heads cocked like the confused dogs that we are, ... eventually getting it. Did we mention he's the greatest drummer on the planet?

Other musical projects (1990–present)

OK Hotel Reunion - Matt Cameron 04 (24913940294)

Along with Cornell,

Stone Gossard Stone Carpenter Gossard (born July 20, 1966) is an American musician who serves as a guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. ...

Jeff Ament Jeffrey Allen Ament (born March 10, 1963) is an American musician and songwriter who is best known as the bassist of the American rock band Pearl Jam, which he co-founded alongside Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder. Prior to his wo ...

, McCready, and Vedder, Cameron appeared on the 1991 ''

'' album. The album paid tribute to

Mother Love Bone Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and lyrics helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/ea ...

vocalist Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose at age 24. He has played in two

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

-influenced side projects:

Tone Dogs Tone Dogs was an avant-prog group founded in 1987 by bassist Fred Chalenor and vocalist/saxophonist Amy Denio, who comprised the nucleus of the band. Drummer Matt Cameron, known for his work in the alternative rock group Soundgarden, was recrui ...

in the early 1990s, and Harrybu McCage, which formed in 2008. He recorded with the Tone Dogs for their debut album '' Ankety Low Day'', which was released in 1990. Cameron also has a fondness for psychedelic

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

, and his side projects

and

reflect this. Cameron formed Hater in 1993 with Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd. The band released a self-titled album in 1993 and recorded a second album in 1995 following Soundgarden's ''Superunknown'' tour. The band's second album, ''The 2nd'', would not see release until 2005. Cameron founded Wellwater Conspiracy with Shepherd and guitarist John McBain. The band's debut album, ''

Declaration of Conformity ''Declaration of Conformity'' is the first studio album by the American Rock music, rock band Wellwater Conspiracy. It was released on June 17, 1997, through Third Gear Records. Overview The album was recorded in 1996 and 1997. This is the only ...

'', was released in 1997. Following Shepherd's departure from the band in 1998, Cameron took over lead vocal duties for the band. Cameron and McBain maintained the group after Cameron joined Pearl Jam, and a further three Wellwater Conspiracy albums were released following the band's debut album ('' Brotherhood of Electric: Operational Directives'' (1999), ''

The Scroll and Its Combinations ''The Scroll and Its Combinations'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Wellwater Conspiracy. It was released on May 22, 2001, through TVT Records. Overview The album was recorded in 2000 at Space Studio in Seattle, Washington. ...

'' (2001), and ''

'' (2003)). He worked with electronic punk act

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...

on their album

The Fat of the Land ''The Fat of the Land'' is the third studio album by English electronic music group the Prodigy, released on 30 June 1997 through XL Recordings. The album received critical acclaim and topped the UK Albums Chart and the US ''Billboard'' 200. I ...

, playing on the track "Narayan". Cameron appears on the

Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...

7", which would become the first recorded material by

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated QOTSA) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1996 in Palm Desert, California. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme, who has been the only constant member throughout mul ...

. Cameron played drums at the band's first show on November 20, 1997 at the

OK Hotel The OK Hotel was an American bar and music venue located at 212 Alaskan Way South in Seattle's Pioneer Square district. The club's 15-year-plus life span came to an end with the Nisqually earthquake of February 28, 2001, which damaged numerous ...

in Seattle, however he did not join the band as its drummer. He also appeared with them in 2008, at the memorial concert for

Natasha Shneider Natasha Shneider (May 22, 1956 – July 2, 2008), born Natalia Mikhailovna Schneiderman (russian: Наталья Михайловна Шнайдерман, ), was a Latvian-born Russian-American musician and actress. She was most notably the keyb ...

, playing double drums along with their then-current drummer

Joey Castillo Joseph William Castillo (born March 30, 1966) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known for being the drummer of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age from 2002 to 2012. He is currently a member of Circle Jerks, The Bronx an ...

, of which various Queens of the Stone Age and

Desert Sessions The Desert Sessions are a musical collective series, founded by Josh Homme in 1997. Artists such as Brant Bjork, PJ Harvey, Twiggy Ramirez, Dave Catching, Nick Oliveri, Mark Lanegan, John McBain, Ben Shepherd, Josh Freese, Chris Goss, Alain ...

songs, as well as covers by artist including

The Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

and

Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

were played. Cameron contributed his drumming on seven tracks considered for

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Ch ...

' 1998 album, '' Adore'', though only "For Martha" appeared on the album. Another studio track, "Because You Are", surfaced on the 2001

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

s and rarities collection, ''

Judas O ''Rotten Apples'' (''The Smashing Pumpkins – Greatest Hits'' as titled on the album's cover) is a greatest hits compilation album by alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. In the US, it was released on November 20, 2001, along with a bo ...

''. Rumors circulated in the beginning of 1998 that he was considered as a permanent drummer replacement for

Jimmy Chamberlin James Joseph Chamberlin (born June 10, 1964) is an American drummer and record producer. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Following the 2000 breakup of the band, Chamberlin joined Pumpkins fro ...

, but Cameron denied this. Other drumming contributions by Cameron include four tracks on Eleven's 1995 album, ''Thunk'', the track "Disappearing One" on former bandmate Chris Cornell's 1999 solo album, ''

Euphoria Morning ''Euphoria Mourning'' (originally titled ''Euphoria Morning'') is the first solo studio album by American musician Chris Cornell. It was released through Interscope Records on September 21, 1999, and Cornell embarked on a tour in support of the a ...

'', and

Geddy Lee Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...

's 2000 solo album, ''

My Favourite Headache ''My Favourite Headache'' (also published as ''My Favorite Headache'', especially in the United States) is the debut solo album by Geddy Lee of Canadian rock band Rush. The album was released on November 14, 2000, by Anthem Records in Canada and ...

''. Cameron has enjoyed a friendship with fellow drummer

Jeremy Taggart Jeremy Ronald John Taggart (born April 7, 1975) is a Canadian drummer, radio host, and author, best known for playing with Our Lady Peace from 1993 until 2014. Early life Taggart was born in Toronto, Ontario, later growing up in Mansfield, On ...

of Canadian rock group

Our Lady Peace Our Lady Peace (sometimes shortened to OLP) is a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 1992. Led by lead vocalist Raine Maida since its formation, the band currently also features Duncan Coutts on bass, Steve Mazur on guitars, and J ...

. When Taggart was sidelined with an ankle injury during the recording of that group's 2000 album, '' Spiritual Machines'', Cameron played drums on songs such as "Right Behind You (Mafia)" and "Are You Sad?". Cameron contributed to the

for the 2002 film, ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...

'', playing on "

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

" with

Chad Kroeger Chad Robert Kroeger ( Turton; born November 15, 1974) is a Canadian musician who is the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Nickelback. In addition to his work with Nickelback, Kroeger has been involved with a variety of collaboratio ...

and

Josey Scott Joseph Scott Sappington (born May 3, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the former lead vocalist of the rock band Saliva. In addition to Saliva, Scott co-wrote and performed "Hero" (which was used as one of the theme songs to the 20 ...

. As Cameron was unable to attend the shoot, Jeremy Taggart returned the favor and is shown in Cameron's place in the video. Cameron, along with Pearl Jam bandmate Mike McCready, contributed two songs to

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

's instrumental album, ''

Fingerprints A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surf ...

'' (2006). These include a cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" and "Blowin' Smoke". Cameron has lent his talents to Submersible Music's DrumCore software. In 2013, Cameron performed with drummers

Janet Weiss Janet Lee Weiss (born September 24, 1965) is an American rock drummer, best known as a former member of Sleater-Kinney and a current member of Quasi. She was the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, leaving after the album '' Mirror Traffic ...

Sleater Kinney Sleater-Kinney ( ) is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's current lineup features Corin Tucker (vocals and guitar) and Carrie Brownstein (guitar and vocals), following the departure of longtime member J ...

, and

Zach Hill Zachary Charles Hill (born December 28, 1979) is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. He is best known as the drummer and co-producer of the groups Death Grips and the I.L.Y's, and as the drummer of math rock band Hella. Art In ...

Death Grips Death Grips is an American experimental hip hop group formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride (vocals, lyrics), Zach Hill (drums, production, lyrics), and Andy Morin (keyboards, pr ...

on an all-drum album entitled '' Drumgasm''. In 2020, Nighttime Boogie Association released their first two singles. The supergroup formed by Cameron,

Taylor Hawkins Oliver Taylor Hawkins (February 17, 1972 – March 25, 2022) was an American musician, best known as the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, with whom he recorded eight studio albums between 1999 and 2021. Before joining the band in 1997, he ...

Buzz Osborne Roger "Buzz" Osborne (born March 25, 1964), also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the rock band Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept. Biography Born in Morton, ...

and

Steven McDonald Steven D. McDonald (March 1, 1957 January 10, 2017) was a New York City Police Department patrolman who was shot and paralyzed on July 12, 1986. The shooting left him quadriplegic. Shooting A former U.S. Navy hospital corpsman and third gene ...

plans to release more music in 2021. In 2021 Cameron, along with Kim Thayil, bassist

Krist Novoselic Krist Anthony Novoselic (; ; born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and activist. He was the bassist and co-founder of the rock band Nirvana. Novoselic and Kurt Cobain formed the band Nirvana in 1987 along with drummer Aaron Burckhard, wh ...

(

Giants in the Trees Giants in the Trees is an American rock band formed in Wahkiakum County, Washington, in 2017. The band was formed by former Nirvana bassist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Krist Novoselic, who created the band as a local musical project ...

), guitarist Bubba Dupree (Hater,

Void Void may refer to: Science, engineering, and technology * Void (astronomy), the spaces between galaxy filaments that contain no galaxies * Void (composites), a pore that remains unoccupied in a composite material * Void, synonym for vacuum, a ...

), and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye (Giants in the Trees) formed the group 3rd Secret. Their self-titled debut album, which they recorded at The Bait Shop in

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

with producer

was released in April 2022. The group also performed at the

Museum of Pop Culture The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...

in Seattle.

Career timeline

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:140 bottom:60 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1985 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1985 Colors = id:Time value:red legend:Time BarData = bar:SY text:"Skin Yard" bar:SG text:"Soundgarden" bar:TD text:"Temple of the Dog" bar:HT text:"Hater" bar:WC text:"Wellwater Conspiracy" bar:QA text:"Queens of the Stone Age" bar:PJ text:"Pearl Jam" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:SY from:01/01/1985 till:06/30/1986 color:Time bar:SG from:06/30/1986 till:12/31/1997 color:Time bar:SG from:01/01/2010 till:01/19/2019 color:Time bar:TD from:06/30/1990 till:06/30/1991 color:Time bar:TD from:10/28/2003 till:10/28/2003 color:Time bar:TD from:10/06/2009 till:10/06/2009 color:Time bar:TD from:09/02/2011 till:09/04/2011 color:Time bar:TD from:01/30/2015 till:01/30/2015 color:Time bar:HT from:01/01/1993 till:06/30/1997 color:Time bar:HT from:09/30/2008 till:09/30/2008 color:Time bar:WC from:06/30/1993 till:06/30/2004 color:Time bar:QA from:01/01/1996 till:12/12/1997 color:Time bar:PJ from:04/01/1998 till:end color:Time

Musical style and influences

Cameron was described by Greg Prato of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

as "unquestionably one of rock's finest and most versatile drummers". Though known for his creativity, power, and precision, Cameron's style is one that does not instinctively seek to dominate a song, but rather tease out a groove that will complement and support its atmosphere. Examples of this can be clearly heard in Temple of the Dog's "Wooden Jesus" or Soundgarden's "Mind Riot" and "Applebite". Cameron's time in Pearl Jam has helped see his technique mellow to a more modest backing role, providing support for the more straightforward nature of Pearl Jam's matured style compared to Soundgarden's more extreme and unusual tendencies, e.g., the song "Face Pollution". Despite a career in rock music, Cameron stated in a 1989 radio interview that growing up he "wasn't a big rock fan ..." and that his musical tastes during his youth were "more into jazz." Cameron has professed that his primary musical interests lie in

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

and various jazz subgenres, including

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

, both of which are characterized by a much busier playing style than Cameron typically exhibits, especially in the aforementioned matured Pearl Jam. Cameron has cited

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

as major influences. Cameron tends to revisit the

paradiddle In ''rudimental drumming'', a form of percussion music, a drum rudiment is one of a number of relatively small patterns which form the foundation for more extended and complex drumming patterns. The term "drum rudiment" is most closely assoc ...

for effect. Examples include the spreading of the RLRR-LRLL pattern amongst ride and snare on Soundgarden's "Never the Machine Forever" (from ''Down on the Upside''), "Unemployable" (from ''Pearl Jam''), creating a driving shuffle; and "You Are" (from ''Riot Act''). This pattern can also be heard during the bridge of "

Bleed Together "Bleed Together" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Bleed Together" was first released in the United States on Soundgarden's post-breakup greatest hits album, '' A-Sides'' (1997). It had previous ...

" (from the " Burden in My Hand" single). Cameron also is well known for his use of tom grooves and tribal patterns, the most famous of which being the tour-de-force "

" figure, as well as "Little Joe", "Gun", and "

". Cameron also incorporated the technique of open-handed drumming into his playing, particularly around the ''Badmotorfinger'' period in Soundgarden, specifically the tracks "Slaves & Bulldozers", the outro of "

Rusty Cage "Rusty Cage" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Rusty Cage" was released in 1992 as the third single from the band's third studio album, ''Badmotorfinger'' (1991). The song became an instant hit ...

", and "Somewhere", and used the technique later on ''Superunknown'' "Limo Wreck."

Equipment

Throughout the 80s and 90s, Cameron favored two to three crashes (generally matching 19-inch

Zildjian :''Zildjian leads here. For people with the surname, see Zildjian (disambiguation)'' The Avedis Zildjian Company, simply known as Zildjian (), is a musical instrument manufacturer specializing in cymbals and other percussion instruments. Founded ...

Avedis Rock crashes and eventually Z Customs by ''Superunknown'' touring period), an A or K ride of 20 or 21 inches, and 15-inch hi hats with an occasional 10-inch splash or bell. China cymbals were used throughout the '80s but infrequently in the '90s, and were eliminated from his live setup by ''Badmotorfinger''. Even after becoming a full-time member of Pearl Jam upon drummer Jack Irons' departure for health reasons, Cameron's cymbal setup did not change radically from his Soundgarden days. Currently, the most noticeable difference is his use of the A and K series as opposed to the heavier Z Custom series. Though Cameron is best known for his use of equipment from California-based

Drum Workshop Drum Workshop, Inc. (also known as DW Drums or DW) is an American drum kit and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Current products by DW include drum sets, snare drums, and hardware. History Drum Workshop was founded ...

during his initial time with Soundgarden, he used his own

Yamaha Yamaha may refer to: * Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below). ** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...

kit before 1990 when he started using DW, which he later admittedly approached after Yamaha first turned down his endorsement. Most early Soundgarden records up until ''Badmotorfinger'' including the Temple of the Dog record were done with an 8000 series kit in a "real wood" finish. By the autumn of 1991, however, Cameron started playing copper gloss finished DW's with 12 and 13-inch rack toms, a 15-inch floor tom, and a 22-inch bass drum with black gloss hoops and a 14-inch knurled steel snare. By 1993 his ''Superunknown'' era kit arrived, a black gloss kit with 12, 13, and a 14-inch hanging tom, which Cameron would mount on a snare stand, a 16-inch floor tom and a 24x16 inch bass drum. Cameron revealed in a 1994 interview with ''Modern Drummer'' magazine that to greater emphasize the dynamic shift on the song "Like Suicide", both kits were used, the latter having shells both larger in depth and diameter. ''Superunknown'' is well known for its huge drum sound and practices such as this brought attention in the drumming world. Other examples include the use of all ride cymbals on "Black Hole Sun" and 3 drummers playing at the same time at the end of "Head Down", being Cameron, Soundgarden bassist

and drum technician and craftsman

Gregg Keplinger Gregg Keplinger is an American drummer, drum maker, and drum tech from Seattle, Washington. As a drummer Keplinger began playing the drums at the age of 14, and has played in a large variety of bands ranging across many different styles, from Ja ...

. Cameron, along with fellow Northwesterner

William Goldsmith William Goldsmith (born July 4, 1972) is an American drummer best known as a member of Sunny Day Real Estate and former member of Foo Fighters. Currently drumming for Assertion, he has toured with Mike Watt and IQU, performed on many recordings ...

(

Sunny Day Real Estate Sunny Day Real Estate is an American emo/indie rock band from Seattle, formed in 1992. The band currently consists of founding members Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar) and William Goldsmith (drums), alongside Greg Suran (gui ...

and

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) re ...

), was an early user of Keplinger's snares, famous for perhaps being the heaviest stainless steel snare drum available. By the recording of 1996's ''Down on the Upside'', and the album's subsequent tour, Cameron endorsed the Canadian custom outfit Ayotte, a company Keplinger had teamed with offering mass-produced steel snares, and soon cohorts and fellow Keplinger fans Jeremy Taggart (

Matt Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session musician, drummer, producer and songwriter. Biography Life and career Chamberlain was born in San Pedro, California on April 17, 1967. He began learning how to play the drums ...

(Pearl Jam, session), and

Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronke ...

(

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...

Atoms for Peace "Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953. The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...

) joined as well. During the recording of ''Down on the Upside'' in 1995 and a short European tour in the middle of making it, Cameron used natural maple finished Ayotte's with wood hoops with 10, 12, and 13-inch rack toms, 16 and 18-inch floor toms, and a 22-inch bass drum, with Ayotte/Keplinger snares or his longtime favorite Keplinger 14x7 stainless steel snare. By the album's official tour in 1996, a new kit with updated

OEM An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...

hardware made by Tay-e, including bass drum mounted tom mounts, in the same sizes but with dark purple sparkle finish and a 24-inch silver sparkle bass drum was used all the way up to Soundgarden's breakup. Following his hiring for Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour in 1998 Cameron continued using his purple Ayotte kit, which would stay intact for the most part for the next 4 years including touring for ''Binaural'' in 2000. All throughout this period Cameron continued using equipment manufactured by DW, including pedals, cymbal stands, and snare stands. Following a corporate mutiny resulting in the resignation of Ray Ayotte from his own company and the subsequent end in partnership with Gregg Keplinger, Cameron switched to

in 2002, and Cameron's subsequent time with Pearl Jam is notable for his shift away from maple-shelled drums, arguably the most popular drum material for its overall even frequency response and overall melodic tone. Cameron began endorsing and using Yamaha's Birch Custom Absolute drums in a vintage natural finish that year. Compared to maple shelled drums, birch is higher-pitched with a quicker attack and produces fewer overtones. By 2009, he began experimenting with another type of wood, the Yamaha Oak Custom in a black gloss finish with Yamaha Vintage Maple hoops, similar to his old Ayotte's. Oak drums are noted for their additional attack and projection, with a similar fundamental tone to maple. He used this kit through the period of Soundgarden's reformation. In 2018 Cameron returned to maple with Yamaha's Absolute Hybrid Maple in a satin black stain but with stock steel hoops. His current setup continues his longtime use of 12, 13, 16-inch toms, with a shallow 24 bass drum, more specifically 12×8, 13×9, 16×16, and 24×14. He occasionally uses a 14×14 floor tom on his left side and an 18×16 floor tom when not using 14×7

Alex Acuña Alejandro Neciosup Acuña (born December 12, 1944), known professionally as Alex Acuña, is a Peruvian-American drummer and percussionist. Background Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands such as La Orquesta de los Hermanos Nec ...

timbale for certain songs in Pearl Jam. His switches his snares between his various Gregg Keplinger built models and Yamaha productions, varying from copper and aluminum shelled models to discontinued signature snares for David Garibaldi,

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...

, and

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the '' Modern ...

. Lately he has also experimented with Kapur shelled Yamaha Club Customs and his Yamaha/Steve Gadd 30th anniversary drum set. He has also used a Yamaha Steve Jordan signature cocktail kit live occasionally. Matt endorses

Yamaha drums Yamaha Drums is a subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation founded in 1967. The company manufactures acoustic and electronic drum kits as well as percussion instruments, marching band equipment, and drum hardware. Production Most of Yamaha's drums a ...

and hardware,

cymbals,

Vic Firth Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth (June 2, 1930 – July 26, 2015) was an American musician and the founder of Vic Firth Company (formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a company that makes percussion mallet, percussion sticks and mallets. Biography Vic Firt ...

drumsticks, and

Remo Remo Inc. is an American musical instruments manufacturing company based in Valencia, California, and founded by Remo Belli in 1957. Products manufactured include drum kits, drumhead A drumhead or drum skin is a membrane stretched ov ...

Drumheads.

Personal life

Cameron married his longtime girlfriend April Acevez on October 25, 1997. They reside in Woodway,

with their two children, son Ray (born October 25, 1998) and daughter Josie. Outside of his music career, Cameron is an avid runner. Cameron's favorite literary author is

Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of realism and the fantastic. It ...

Discography

;Soundgarden ;Pearl Jam * '' Binaural'' (2000) * '' Riot Act'' (2002) * '' Pearl Jam'' (2006) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Lightning Bolt'' (2013) * ''

'' (2020) ;Solo * ''

Cavedweller ''Cavedweller'' is the second novel from author Dorothy Allison. Much like her award-winning novel, '' Bastard Out of Carolina'', ''Cavedweller'' deals with domestic violence, friendship among women, mother-daughter bonds, and poverty in the sm ...

'' (2017)

References

External links

Matt Cameron
at

Drummerworld Drummerworld is a Swiss drum website created by Bernhard Castiglioni in 1997. The site focuses on the biographies of prominent rock and jazz drummers and drum lessons, along with a discussion forum. Popularity and awards Half of ''Drumme ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Matt 1962 births Living people Alternative metal musicians American alternative rock drummers Grunge musicians Pearl Jam members Queens of the Stone Age members Soundgarden members Temple of the Dog members Tone Dogs members People from Chula Vista, California Musicians from San Diego 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Skin Yard members Wellwater Conspiracy members 3rd Secret members Hater (band) members Eleven (band) members