Jeff Ament
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Jeffrey Allen Ament (born March 10, 1963) is an American musician best known as the bassist of rock band
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
, which he co-founded alongside Stone Gossard,
Mike McCready Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician known for being a founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam. McCready was also a member of the side project bands Flight to Mars, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season (band), Ma ...
, and
Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and one of three guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam. He was previously a gues ...
. Ament wrote or co-wrote many of Pearl Jam's hits, including " Jeremy", "
Oceans The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic/Southern, and ...
", "
Dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...
", " Nothingman" and " Nothing as It Seems". Prior to his work with Pearl Jam, Ament was part of the 1980s
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
-based grunge rock bands Green River and Mother Love Bone. He is known particularly for playing with the
fretless bass A fretless bass is an electric bass guitar whose neck lacks frets and thus is smooth like traditional string instruments, and like the neck of an acoustic double bass. While the fretless bass is played in all styles of music, it is most common in ...
,
upright bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
, and twelve-string bass guitars. Ament is also a member of the bands Temple of the Dog, Three Fish, RNDM, Tres Mts., and P.E.S.T. In 2008, Ament released his first solo album, ''
Tone Tone may refer to: Visual arts and color-related * Tone (color theory), a mix of tint and shade, in painting and color theory * Tone (color), the lightness or brightness (as well as darkness) of a color * Toning (coin), color change in coins * ...
''. His second solo release, '' While My Heart Beats'', followed in 2012, and his third in 2018: '' Heaven/Hell''. Ament was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Pearl Jam on April 7, 2017. He was also recognized as one of the top hard rock/metal bassists of all time by
Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive i ...
in 2016, being placed at #52 on the list.


Biography


Early life

The first of 12 children, Ament was born in
Havre, Montana Havre ( ) is the county seat of and the largest city in Hill County, Montana, United States. Havre is nicknamed the crown jewel of the Hi-Line (Montana), Hi-Line. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. As of the 2020 Unite ...
, to George and Penny Ament and grew up in the town of Big Sandy, Montana, a town with a population of less than 700 people. Ament's father George was mayor of Big Sandy for fifteen years, as well as a barber and a school bus driver. Ament described his family growing up as "pretty poor"Vaziri, Aidin
"Q & A With Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament"
''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
''. October 29, 2000.
and "hard-core
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
." He began playing the bass guitar as a teenager, often playing along with
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
,
The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
, and
The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
records. Ament participated in basketball,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
, and track at Big Sandy High School, where he graduated in 1981. He then attended the
University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...
in
Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...
, where he studied art and played basketball. Ament quit college in the middle of his second year after the university told him they were no longer going to continue its
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
program.Ho, Jeff
"Interview with Jeff Ament"
''Juice'' Magazine. 2006.
In 1983, Ament relocated to
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington with his band Deranged Diction. While in Seattle, Ament got a job working at a coffee shop in Belltown.


Green River

Ament became acquainted with fellow Seattle musicians Mark Arm and Steve Turner, and he was asked to join their new band Green River in 1984. The band also included drummer Alex Vincent, with guitarist Stone Gossard eventually being added to the line-up. By the time the band finished the recording of its debut EP, '' Come on Down'', Turner decided to leave the group, citing his distaste with Ament and Gossard's heavy metal leanings.Huey, Steve. " Green River.
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. Retrieved on June 13, 2005.
He was replaced by Ament's former Deranged Diction bandmate, Bruce Fairweather. The band released the EP ''Come on Down'' in 1985 and followed it up with '' Dry As a Bone'' in 1987, the first non-compilation release on
Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
records. The band's only full-length studio album, '' Rehab Doll'', was released in 1988. In-fighting lead to the group's break-up during the recording of ''Rehab Doll''. A stylistic division had developed between Ament and Gossard on one side, and Arm on the other. Ament and Gossard wanted to pursue a major-label deal, while Arm wanted to remain
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
, viewing the duo as being too careerist. Regarding the accusation, Ament later said that during his time with the band he had to work at a restaurant in order to pay his rent, while the other members were supported by their parents. He said, "Did I want to play music and have my rent paid for? Hell yeah." The band achieved a considerable local reputation in Seattle and had a significant influence on the genre later known as
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
, with Green River being described as "arguably the first grunge band."


Mother Love Bone

Following Green River's dissolution, Ament established Mother Love Bone in 1988 along with former Green River members Gossard and Fairweather, former Malfunkshun frontman Andrew Wood, and former Ten Minute Warning and
Skin Yard Skin Yard was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington, that was 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 Tr ...
drummer Greg Gilmore. The band quickly worked on recording and performing locally and by late 1988 had become one of Seattle's more promising bands. In early 1989 the band signed to PolyGram subsidiary
Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...
. In March of that year the group issued its debut EP, '' Shine''. In late 1989 the group returned to the studio to record its debut studio album, ''
Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...
''. It was planned for a March 1990 release. Only days before the release of ''Apple'', however, frontman Wood, who had a long history with drug problems, overdosed on heroin. After spending a few days in the hospital in a coma, Wood died, effectively bringing Mother Love Bone to an end. ''Apple'' was released later that year.


Temple of the Dog

Following Wood's death, Ament and Gossard almost parted company. Ament briefly spent time in the band
War Babies War children are those born to a local parent and a parent belonging to a foreign military force (usually an occupying force, but also military personnel stationed at military bases on foreign soil). Having a child by a member of a belligerent ...
, but he eventually got back together with Gossard and a childhood friend of Gossard's named
Mike McCready Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician known for being a founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam. McCready was also a member of the side project bands Flight to Mars, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season (band), Ma ...
. The trio were attempting to form their own band when they were invited to be part of the Temple of the Dog project founded by
Soundgarden Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially ...
's
Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...
as a musical tribute to Andrew Wood. Cornell had been Wood's roommate. Ament described the collaboration as "a really good thing at the time" for him and Gossard that put them into a "band situation where we could play and make music." The band's lineup was completed by the addition of Soundgarden drummer
Matt Cameron 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, which he joined in 1986, appearing on each of the ...
. The band started rehearsing songs that Cornell had written on tour prior to Wood's death, as well as re-working some existing material from demos written by Gossard and Ament.Alden, Grant. "Requiem for a Heavyweight." ''
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists and fans of guitar-based music and trends. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...
''. July 1997
This project eventually featured vocalist
Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and one of three guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam. He was previously a gues ...
, who had arrived in Seattle to audition to be the singer for Ament and Gossard's next band, which later became Pearl Jam. Vedder sang a duet with Cornell on the song "
Hunger Strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
" and provided background vocals on several other songs. The band decided that it had enough material for an entire album and, in April 1991, '' Temple of the Dog'' was released through
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
.


Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam was formed in 1990 by Ament, Gossard, and McCready, who then recruited Vedder and drummer Dave Krusen. The band originally took the name
Mookie Blaylock Daron Oshay "Mookie" Blaylock (born March 20, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. He spent 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and the Golden State Warriors. C ...
, but was forced to change it when the band signed to
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
in 1991. After the recording sessions for '' Ten'' were completed, Krusen left Pearl Jam in May 1991.Greene, Jo-Ann. "Pearl Jam and the Secret History of Seattle Part 2". '' Goldmine''. ''August 1993'' Krusen was replaced by
Matt Chamberlain Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17, 1967) is an American session drummer, record producer and songwriter. He has played with various artists, including Pearl Jam, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, David Bowie, Tori Amos, Morrissey, The Wallflow ...
, who had previously played with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. After playing only a handful of shows, one of which was filmed for the " Alive" video, Chamberlain left to join the ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' band. As his replacement, Chamberlain suggested Dave Abbruzzese, who joined the group and played the rest of Pearl Jam's live shows supporting the ''Ten'' album. ''Ten'' broke the band into the mainstream, and became one of the best selling alternative albums of the 1990s. The band found itself amidst the sudden popularity and attention given to the Seattle music scene and the genre known as grunge. The single " Jeremy" received
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance in 1993. Pearl Jam received four awards at the 1993
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
for its music video for "Jeremy", including Video of the Year and Best Group Video. ''Ten'' was ranked number 207 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine's list of the
500 greatest albums of all time 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. Humans, and many other animals, have 5 digits on their limbs. Mathematics 5 is a Fermat pri ...
, and "Jeremy" was ranked number 11 on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's list of the 100 greatest songs of the '90s. Following an intense touring schedule, the band went into the studio to record what would become its second studio album, '' Vs.'', released in 1993. Upon its release, ''Vs.'' set at the time the record for most copies of an album sold in a week, and spent five weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''Vs.'' was nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sever ...
in 1995. From ''Vs.'', the song "
Daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state, condition or quality of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show r ...
" received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and the song " Go" received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. Feeling the pressures of success, the band decided to decrease the level of promotion for its albums, including refusing to release music videos. "Ten years from now," Ament said, "I don't want people to remember our songs as videos." In 1994, the band began a much-publicized boycott of
Ticketmaster Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Ente ...
, which lasted for three years and limited the band's ability to tour in the United States. Ament took an active role during Pearl Jam's dispute with Ticketmaster in 1994 over prices and surcharges. Along with Gossard, Ament testified before a congressional subcommittee, arguing that Ticketmaster's practices were anti-competitive. Later that same year the band released its third studio album, '' Vitalogy'', which became the band's third straight album to reach multi-platinum status. The album received Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album in 1996. ''Vitalogy'' was ranked number 492 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The lead single " Spin the Black Circle" won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Hard Rock Performance. Although Abbruzzese performed on the album ''Vitalogy'', he was fired in August 1994, four months before the album was released.Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". ''Spin''. August 2001. The band cited political differences between Abbruzzese and the other members; for example, he disagreed with the Ticketmaster boycott. He was replaced by Jack Irons, a close friend of Vedder and the former and original drummer of the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
. The band subsequently released '' No Code'' in 1996 and '' Yield'' in 1998. In 1998, prior to Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour, Irons left the band due to dissatisfaction with touring. Pearl Jam enlisted former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron as Irons' replacement on an initially temporary basis, but he soon became a permanent replacement for Irons. " Do the Evolution" (from ''Yield'') received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. In 1998, Pearl Jam recorded " Last Kiss", 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 the past, the word meant the infliction or cause of hardship. See also * Complaint system * Harm Harm is a morality, moral and ...
" (from ''Binaural'') received a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band released its seventh studio album, ''
Riot Act The Riot Act (1 Geo. 1. St. 2. c. 5), sometimes called the Riot Act 1714 or the Riot Act 1715, was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain which authorised local authorities to declare any group of 12 or more people to be unlawfully assembled ...
'', in 2002. Pearl Jam's contribution to the 2003 film, '' Big Fish'', " Man of the Hour", was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
in 2004. The band's eighth studio album, the eponymous ''
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
'', was released in 2006. The band released its ninth studio album, '' Backspacer'', in 2009 its tenth studio album, '' Lightning Bolt'', in 2013 and its eleventh studio album '' Gigaton'' in 2020. Aside from his musical contributions for the band, Ament has made significant contributions to the band's album artwork. His photography can be found throughout the majority of the band's releases. He has won two Grammy Awards for Best Recording Package for his work on the album ''Lightning Bolt'' and on
Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...
's self-titled compilation.


Other musical projects


Three Fish

Ament had a side project band named Three Fish, which he formed in 1994 with Robbi Robb of Tribe After Tribe and Richard Stuverud of the Fastbacks. Three Fish released two albums, '' Three Fish'' (1996) and '' The Quiet Table'' (1999).


''Mirror Ball''

Ament performed with other members of Pearl Jam on
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
's 1995 album, '' Mirror Ball'', and subsequently took part in an eleven-date tour in Europe as part of Young's backing band. This tour proved very successful with Young's manager Elliot Roberts calling it "One of the greatest tours we ever had in our whole lives."


''Tone''

On September 16, 2008, Ament released his first solo album, ''
Tone Tone may refer to: Visual arts and color-related * Tone (color theory), a mix of tint and shade, in painting and color theory * Tone (color), the lightness or brightness (as well as darkness) of a color * Toning (coin), color change in coins * ...
'', through Monkeywrench Records. The album features ten songs written over a span of 12 years. The album's songs feature a raw,
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
sound. 3,000 copies of ''Tone'' were pressed and were distributed through independent record stores across the United States as well as through Pearl Jam's official website. The album, like their others is also available via Pearl Jam's official website.


''Tres Mts.''

On January 24, 2011 Ament announced on Pearl Jam's official website his side project with dUg Pinnick of
King's X King's X is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Springfield, Missouri, in 1979. They were first called the Edge and later became Sneak Preview before settling on its current name in 1985. The band's current lineup has remained intact fo ...
and Richard Stuverud of the Fastbacks. The band's official Facebook page announced a March 2011 release of their album, ''Three Mountains'', through Monkeywrench Records.


''RNDM''

In 2012, Ament started another band with singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur and drummer Richard Stuverud.


Other work

Ament had a brief acting cameo in the 1992 movie, '' Singles'', along with Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. He appeared as himself, playing bass in lead actor
Matt Dillon Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Independent Spirit Awards alongside nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, ...
's backing band, Citizen Dick. Most of Matt Dillon's wardrobe in the movie actually belonged to Ament. During the making of the film Ament produced a list of song titles for the fictional band.Prato, Greg. "Spoonman - Review"
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. Retrieved on August 1, 2008.
Chris Cornell took it as a challenge to write songs for the film using those titles, and " Spoonman" was one of them. The title of "Spoonman" is credited to Ament in the liner notes for Soundgarden's 1994 album, '' Superunknown''. With his brother Barry, Ament founded Ames Bros., an art production company that produces tour posters and album artwork for many bands, including Pearl Jam. The brothers won a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
in 2020 for "Best Recording Package" as a result of their work as art directors on the
Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...
posthumous compilation album titled ''
Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...
''. In 2022 Ament scored, together with
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 ...
, the FX on Hulu television series ''Under the Banner of Heaven'', adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book.


Musical style and influences

Ament has cited
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
,
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
,
the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, and
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
as his biggest musical influences. In an interview, Ament stated:
I have to be able to feel the bass. I've worked hard with our producers to make sure that when you play our records on your stereo, you can feel the bass. You might not necessarily be able to hear it all the time, but if you turn it up you can feel the movement in the low end—that it's moving the song. And when it's not there, it should be creating a dynamic.Coryat, Karl
"Godfather of the "G" Word"
''Bass Player Magazine''. April 1994.
Ament makes a major songwriting contribution to Pearl Jam. He wrote the music for one of the band's biggest hits, "Jeremy", as well as " Nothingman" (from ''Vitalogy''). His contributions to Pearl Jam's songs have not been limited to music with Ament having written the lyrics for the ''Yield'' songs "Pilate" and "Low Light", the ''Binaural'' songs "Gods' Dice" and " Nothing as It Seems", "Help Help" (from ''Riot Act''), "Other Side" (from the " Save You" single), and "Sweet Lew" (from '' Lost Dogs''). As well as bass contributions, Ament has often provided backing vocals and has played guitar on two of the Pearl Jam songs he had written musically: "Smile" (from ''No Code'') and "Bee Girl" (from ''Lost Dogs''). He performs lead vocal duties on "Sweet Lew" and also on the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
cover "I Just Want To Have Something To Do". He plays guitar and keyboard on Dance of the Clairvoyants (from Gigaton). In 2011, Ament endorsed luthier Mike Lull, and a signature model was produced, which is available in four different colors.


Personal life

A self-professed NBA fanatic, Ament is a lifelong supporter of the former Seattle SuperSonics NBA basketball team, and for 10 consecutive years he held season tickets to the team at Key Arena. The bassist is also an avid basketball player and his passion prompted him to suggest NBA player
Mookie Blaylock Daron Oshay "Mookie" Blaylock (born March 20, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. He spent 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and the Golden State Warriors. C ...
as the name of the band that is now Pearl Jam. Ament is also an avid reader and has cited
Mikhail Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( ; rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪdʑ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright. His novel ''The M ...
and
Cormac McCarthy Cormac McCarthy (born Charles Joseph McCarthy Jr.; July 20, 1933 – June 13, 2023) was an American author who wrote twelve novels, two plays, five screenplays, and three short stories, spanning the Western, post-apocalyptic, and Southern Got ...
as his favorite authors. On February 16, 2016, he married longtime partner Pandora Andre-Beatty. Ament currently lives in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington and
Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...
. Aside from music, Ament's interests include
skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...
, basketball, graphic design,
snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralym ...
, and
wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboarding ...
. Ament assisted in financing the construction of Missoula's Mobash Skatepark. In 2004, Ament and his wife Pandora Andre-Beatty climbed Africa's
Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
in support of
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919; its goal is to improve the lives of children worldwide. The organization raises money to imp ...
. Since 2014, Ament and Andre-Beatty have funded and operated the Montana Pool Service Foundation, a registered 501(c)3. Ament and Montana Pool Service have helped build over 30 skate parks in the state of Montana, including many on Native American reservations. Ament is a supporter of
organic farming Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...
and former United States Senator
Jon Tester Raymond Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an American politician and farmer who served from 2007 to 2025 as a United States Senate, United States senator from Montana and from 2005 to 2007 as president of the Montana Senate. A member of the ...
. Tester grew up near Big Sandy and Ament knew of Tester before either were famous. Ament campaigned for Tester in 2006 and 2018. Ament is credited for the album artwork and art direction for the Pearl Jam albums ''Ten'', the album photograph for ''Vs.'', and created the concept for ''Yield'', which was nominated for the Best Recording Package Grammy in 1999. Ament has won two Grammys for his art design for the Pearl Jam album ''Lightning Bolt'' and the posthumous compilation album ''Chris Cornell''. In April 2009, Ament was attacked at knifepoint by a gang of muggers. According to ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', Ament had just pulled up outside the Southern Tracks recording studio in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, Georgia, when his rented jeep was attacked by several men, who smashed the vehicle's windows and demanded money. The magazine also reported that Ament was knocked to the ground while trying to escape the robbers. He sustained a head injury and was treated at the scene. His Blackberry, passport and cash were stolen. The incident would lead one fan, Joe Hartgrove, with the idea of a charity in Ament's name, called ''Jeff Ament's Army'', to be formed by Joe, Roger McDaniel and Joanna Traver, and with the approval of Ament, started in 2011; their work includes the promoting of skate parks in the state of Montana.


Discography


Green River discography


Mother Love Bone discography


Temple of the Dog discography


Pearl Jam discography


Three Fish discography


Solo discography


Deranged Diction discography


Tres Mts. discography


RNDM discography


Contributions and collaborations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ament, Jeff 1963 births 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American male guitarists Grammy Award winners Green River (band) members Grunge musicians Guitarists from Montana Living people Mother Love Bone members Pearl Jam members People from Chouteau County, Montana People from Havre, Montana RNDM members Temple of the Dog members University of Montana alumni