Look, band lineups are not infallible. Most of them include several iterations of the band, even iconic, larger-than-life groups like Pearl Jam. For those who aren’t diehard fans of the grunge group, here’s a fun fact — Pearl Jam has had five drummers total. It was announced earlier today that the group will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, but the specific members who will be included were also listed, and it won’t be everyone.
The Hall Of Fame inductees will be frontman and lead singer Eddie Vedder, bassist Jeff Ament, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, founding drummer Dave Krusen and current drummer Matt Cameron — but not the other three drummers from other iterations, and not David Abbruzzese. When he found out, Abbruzzese was understandably disappointed, and a little angry.
He shared a post he said was from a friend named Kari on Facebook this morning expressing some indignation over the rules, post and full transcription below:
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(From my friend Kari)
“So… Rock & Roll Hall of F&cktardia. Ergh.
It makes absolutely zero sense to me…
I’m just gonna shove this statement up someone’s arse:“As the original ballot is created, the members of each eligible band are determined by largely who was present and active during the most influential recording years.”
I’m not sure how 275+ live shows and 38% of record sales doesn’t fit their criteria… “
I may write more about this as time travels on… As for now, I look forward to sharing my first solo album with you all. Thank you for sharing your opinions & for your love & support.
Abruzzese has also been sharing similar reactions from fans and colleagues throughout the day via Facebook that all address his important role in the group. He shared another, longer post from his friend Kari that argues the case even more clearly:
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Full transcript:
“It must have been difficult to write this piece and completely omit David Abbruzzese.
The drummer that toured “Ten,” played 275+ live gigs and recorded two of the most successful records in the Pearl Jam discography.
The drummer that re-recorded “Even Flow” and appeared in the live video, the vid for “Jeremy,” SNL appearances and MTV “Unplugged.”
“Unplugged” was groundbreaking in 1992 and allowed millions of viewers to connect with the band.
The artist that recorded “Vs.” which sold over 900k copies in the first week- a record held for nearly five years. Then there’s “Vitalogy” their third record with US sales of 5 million- ranking third in sales behind “Ten” (13M) and “Vs.” (7M). The musician responsible for “Go” – which according to the band’s site has been played at 1/3 of their live shows.
RRHOF inclusion is not based on sales. The Induction Process (as it relates to individual band members) is vague- perhaps non-existent on the official site. The following statement lifted from the RRHOF Facebook page would indicate that it is subjective.
“As the original ballot is created, the members of each eligible band are determined by largely who was present and active during the most influential recording years.”
According to RIAA, my abacus and the fans, David Abbruzzese’s contributions to Pearl Jam from 1991-1994 at the height of their career are monumental and it is a damn shame that he is not included in the RRHOF Class of 2017.
David was most definitely “present and active during the most influential recording years.”
Abbruzzese is continuing to mull over the news on his Facebook page, but the other members of Pearl Jam have yet to weigh in. We’ve reached out to both Pearl Jam and Abbruzzese for comment and will update accordingly. Will the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame listen? That remains to be seen as well.
UPDATE: A fan of Abbruzzese has now started a petition so other fans can let the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame know that they consider him a member that fits the criteria of active during the band’s “most influential recording years.” The petition goal is set for 500 signatures and will be delivered to the RHOF when it reaches that mark. Abbruzese shared the link on his Facebook page. Full text below:
90’s Grunge icon, Pearl Jam, have recently been included in the “Class of 2017 Inductees” Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, the “powers that be” do not see fit to include their undoubtedly, most “explosive” drummer, David Abbruzzese!
This is an OUTRAGE!Apart from his hard-hitting, energy-crazed grooves that helped shape what was to become “the most popular American rock & roll band of the ’90s”, Dave’s most notable influence in the band, was his contribution to the 1993 single, “Go.” Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, the music was primarily written by Dave. “Go” peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and was also included on Pearl Jam’s 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have stated that “the members of each eligible band (being inducted) are determined by largely who was present and active during the most influential recording years”. One former member of PJ, Dave Krusen has been included with the bands induction, however, Krusen only recorded the first Album “Ten.” Dave Abbruzzese replaced and subsequently toured with Pearl Jam following the release of the album, which included the iconic “Unplugged” set in 1992. Although Krusen was ‘active,’ he was not largely present during the ‘influential recording years.’ Dave Abbruzzese, was both.
Sign, share and make your voice known, that Dave Abbruzzese was a major influence in Pearl Jam’s success and should be included along with the current members being inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall Fame!
Sign the petition here.
