Mike McCready
| Mike McCready | |
|---|---|
McCready performing with Pearl Jam in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael David McCready |
| Also known as | Petster, McMelty |
| Born |
April 5, 1966 Pensacola, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock, grunge, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, drums |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | Monkeywrench, A&M, Epic, Columbia, J |
| Associated acts | Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season, The Rockfords, Shadow '86, Flight to Mars, Levee Walkers, Walking Papers, M.A.C.C., Phil Collen |
| Notable instruments | |
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Fender Telecaster Gibson Les Paul Gibson Les Paul Junior Gibson SG |
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Michael David "Mike" McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam. McCready was also a member of the side project bands Flight to Mars, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season and The Rockfords. He is also the proprietor of Hockey Talkter Records.
McCready will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam on April 7, 2017.
Mike McCready was born in Pensacola, Florida, but his family moved to Seattle, shortly after his birth. When he was a child, his parents played Jimi Hendrix and Santana; while his friends listened to Kiss and Aerosmith, McCready would frequently play bongo drums. At the age of eleven, McCready purchased his first guitar and began taking lessons.
In eighth grade, McCready formed his first band, Warrior, whose name soon changed to Shadow. Originally a cover band playing during free periods at Roosevelt High School, the band eventually began writing original material and recording demo tapes. After high school, McCready worked at a pizza restaurant where he befriended musician Pete Droge. In 1986, Shadow relocated to Los Angeles and attempted to cut a record deal. However, according to McCready:
We played to a couple bartenders down there, but even though it was a bad scene, it was a good experience. Basically, we weren't that good of a band, and we didn't realize it until we got down there. I guess we lost our focus, got really bummed out and came back to Seattle.
In 1988, Shadow returned to Seattle and split up soon afterwards. McCready lost interest in playing guitar for some time, stating that he "was so depressed about life." He cut his hair, enrolled in a local community college, and spent his nights working at a video store. He credits a friend named Russ Riedner for "getting me out of my college mode and back into playing guitar." McCready was inspired to pick up his guitar again after attending a Stevie Ray Vaughan concert at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. McCready said:
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Wikipedia