Ex-Pearl Jam Drummer Reveals If He'll Ever Rejoin the Bandoriginally appeared onParade. In the wake ofMatt Cameronannouncing his departure fromPearl Jamafter nearly forty years of playing drums for the rock group, fans speculated about who might replace him. Could it beJosh Freese, the newly dismissedFoo Fighters drummer? Or could it beZak Starkey, whogot the axfrom The Who? Some have even brought upDave Abbruzzese. Abbruzzese played with Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994, replacingMatt Chamberlainshortly before the band released their debut album,Ten. Abbruzzese played on the following two albums—Vs.andVitalogy—though the band would fire him over personality conflicts right beforeVitalogyhit stores. And it appears those conflicts are still in place, according to a new Facebook post by Abbruzzese. "It seems the guys in the band matured and grew up as much as I did, but the fact that I haven't had any personal contact with any of them leads me to believe the water under the bridge runs too deep and too icy for there to be any reconnection or reconciliation," he wrote in a lengthy message on July 8. "This is a shame and saddens me greatly," he added. "I know I could and would have much to contribute if indeed the call came, but sadly, I don't see that happening." Abbruzzese claimed that he experienced "trials and tribulations" by "the actions of the band's management and the band's old label." However, he doesn't hold a grudge againstEddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCreadyorJeff Ament. "With the exceptions of some petty comments and actions that I never quite understood or expected, I have never placed blame and harbored resentments towards the members of the band," he wrote. "Although I never truly understood what was so important to destroy the musical chemistry we had back then, it is what it is, and I can't do anything about it," he added. "I wish Pearl Jam and its organization continued success, and I do hope that there will come a day that we can again connect on some level." Related: Legendary Drummer, 62, Shockingly Exits Iconic Rock Band After 27 Years Ex-Pearl Jam Drummer Reveals If He'll Ever Rejoin the Bandfirst appeared on Parade on Jul 9, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
