After nearly three decades, Matt Cameron, one of the most influential drummers in the grunge scene, is stepping away from Pearl Jam. Ranked 52nd on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time,” Cameron was Pearl Jam’s longest-serving drummer, having joined the band in 1998 following the breakup of Soundgarden. Although not part of the original lineup, Cameron earned his place in Pearl Jam not only for his dynamic drumming style but also for his songwriting contributions. Throughout his tenure, Cameron has written 11 songs for the band, including “Save You,” “You Are,” and “The Fixer.”
Pearl Jam’s story dates back to 1984, when bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard formed Green River, cementing them as early architects of the grunge scene. Over the years, the band has produced 12 studio albums and sold over 85 million albums. Their latest album, Dark Matter, released in April 2024, proves that they’re a band “still operating at the peaks of their powers.”
There Are No Hard Feelings with Pearl Jam and Matt Cameron Split
As part of their album campaign for Dark Matter, which received three Grammy nominations, Pearl Jam toured select U.S. cities in April and May 2025. The tour commenced in Hollywood, Florida, on April 24 and 26, and ended with their Pittsburgh and Philadelphia stops on May 16 and 18. What fans didn’t realize was that this tour would be the last time they’d get to watch Cameron rocking out with the band. Eventually, all good things must come to an end. On July 7th, 2025, Cameron announced his departure via Instagram.
“After 27 fantastic years, I have taken my final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam. Much love and respect to Jeff, Ed, Mike and Stone for inviting me into the band in 1998 and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime, filled with friendships, artistry, challenges and laughter. I am forever grateful to the crew, staff and fans the world over. It’s been an incredible journey. More to follow. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
Unlike other recent drummer departures – such as The Foo Fighters’ split with Josh Freese, which became a sour affair for the latter – Cameron’s withdrawal doesn’t seem to stem from any bad feelings. Along with Cameron’s announcement, the rest of Pearl Jam issued a joint statement, reflecting on Cameron’s time with the unit and how the musician played a pivotal role in shaping the early years of the band.
“From being one of our first musical heroes in the bands Skinyard and the mighty Soundgarden, to playing on our first demos in 1990, Matt Cameron has been a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer.
He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings. It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always. He will be deeply missed and is forever our friend in art and music.
We love you Matt.”
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Matt Cameron Once Rumored to Replace Taylor Hawkins for the Foo Fighters
In March 2023, British tabloid outlet The Sun reported that Cameron was expected to step in as the Foo Fighters’ drummer following the passing of Taylor Hawkins. According to unnamed insiders, Cameron, who was also a close friend of Hawkins, was among those lined up for the upcoming shows, along with Angels & Airwaves drummer Atom Willard. A source claimed that the band had been working with several musicians connected to both Hawkins and the Foo Fighters in the months leading up to the tour. Cameron and Willard were allegedly the top contenders to handle drumming duties for the live gigs, with the former serving as the primary drummer and Willard rotating in for certain performances.
However, Cameron was quick to refute the claims. On March 25, 2023, the drummer took to his Instagram to deny speculation, saying, “FYI the internet rumors are false, I haven’t joined the Foos.” Previously, Cameron joined the remaining members of the Foo Fighters on stage for their 2022 Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, drumming for the song “Low”. Although Pearl Jam wasn’t a musical guest during the tribute show, the rest of the band honored Hawkins on the opening night of their “Gigaton” tour.
David Letterman Inducted Pearl Jam in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony
At the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, David Letterman stepped in to induct Pearl Jam after Neil Young had to cancel due to illness. Having welcomed the band many times over the years on Late Night, the legendary host gave a 15-minute witty speech honoring Pearl Jam in true Letterman fashion– not bad for a man who arrived at the last minute. He talked about how much he missed hearing live music every night, made a joke about the band’s Ticketmaster boycott, and shared a touching story about frontman Eddie Vedder giving his son an acoustic guitar as a parting gift during one of Letterman’s final shows.
A massive rock fan at heart, Letterman also had a long-running bit on his show where he obsessively sang the intro to Pearl Jam’s “Black,” driving the joke so far that Vedder eventually appeared and jokingly asked him to quit it. The gag went on for weeks, with the band even learning the song just to keep up with the joke. Vedder did later perform “Black” on the show, though not during the episode where the gag peaked.