Biographie
Matt Cameron is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer for Seattle grunge bands Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. He initially played drums for the Seattle band Skin Yard but gained international recognition after joining Soundgarden in 1986 alongside Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, and Hiro Yamamoto. Cameron remained with Soundgarden for about a decade until their breakup in 1997. The band was one of the leading alternative rock acts of the 1990s, alongside Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the Screaming Trees. By 1994, Soundgarden achieved global success, with albums Superunknown (1994) and Down on the Upside (1996) topping charts. Matt is credited with writing and co-writing many of the band's songs.
In 1991, Cameron contributed to the Temple of the Dog album with Jeff Ament, Chris Cornell, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder. The project was a tribute to Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, who died of an overdose. In 1992, he appeared on the soundtrack of, and made a cameo in, the film Singles (1992), starring Matt Dillon and centered on the Seattle grunge scene. After Soundgarden disbanded, Matt briefly played drums for The Smashing Pumpkins and Queens of the Stone Age before replacing Jack Irons as Pearl Jam’s drummer during their 1998 Yield Tour, a role he has held since.
Cameron supported Guns N' Roses on their 1991 tour and performed on the 1992 Lollapalooza tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ministry. His work features on numerous movie soundtracks, including John Schlesinger's Pacific Heights (1990), Pump Up the Volume (1990), Wayne's World (1992), Quentin Tarantino's True Romance (1993), Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003), and Reign Over Me (2007). He has also collaborated with Tony Iommi and Peter Frampton.
Matt resides near Seattle with his wife, April Acevez, and their two children, Ray and Josie.
In 2010, he reunited with Soundgarden and continues to drum for Pearl Jam, balancing his time between both bands while focusing on solo projects. He appears in the 2011 documentary Pearl Jam Twenty.
