Mike McCready American rock guitarist Date of Birth: 05.04.1966 Country: USA

Biography of Mike McCready

Born on April 5, 1966 in Pensacola, Florida, American rock guitarist Mike McCready's family moved to Seattle, Washington shortly after his birth. Inspired by the playing of Ace Frehley from the band "Kiss" and Joe Perry from "Aerosmith," Mike received his first guitar at the age of eleven. While still in eighth grade, he formed his first band called "Shadow." The group's sound was influenced by the popular "pop-metal" of the time, but after a failed attempt to sign a contract with a studio in Los Angeles, the band returned to Seattle and eventually disbanded.

This disappointing experience cooled McCready's passion for music, leading him to cut his long hair, enroll in college, and not touch the guitar for many months. However, he eventually returned to playing, inspired by the bluesy notes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and joined a local band called "Love Chile." But the band was short-lived, only performing a handful of live shows.

Through a mutual friend, McCready met Stone Gossard, the guitarist of the band "Mother Love Bone," who was impressed by Mike's talents after hearing him play only once at a crowded party. Shortly after the tragic death of the lead singer of "Mother Love Bone" just before their debut album, Gossard was left without a band. McCready accepted his offer to play together. The pair immediately clicked, and together with former member of the failed "Mother Love Bone," bassist Jeff Ament, and San Diego native vocalist Eddie Vedder, they formed the band "Pearl Jam" in late 1990. In 1991, their debut album "Ten" was released.

A year later, "Pearl Jam" exploded onto the scene and became one of the leading rock bands. Their debut album remained on top of the charts, and their live shows became a part of the "Lollapalooza" festival. The success of "Pearl Jam" continued throughout the 90s, solidifying with their 1993 album "Vs." In 1994, they released "Vitalogy," followed by "No Code" in 1996, and "Yield" in 1998. The new millennium brought their album "Binaural" in 2000.

McCready also honored his talent with side projects and made appearances on several recordings by other artists. In 1995, immediately after leaving a rehabilitation clinic where he sought treatment for alcoholism, McCready formed the band "Mad Season" with vocalist Layne Staley. Their debut album "Above" was released the same year. In 2000, another project of McCready's called "Rockfords" (featuring members of his first band "Shadow") emerged, and their self-titled debut album was released.

McCready's bluesy playing accompanied the releases of many musicians, and his album "Stone Free" paid tribute to Jimi Hendrix, where Mike performed Hendrix's track "Hey Baby."