Former Nirvana and Soundgarden Member is a Decorated Army Special Forces Member

2013-07-04

Story by Anne Erickson

Former Nirvana and Soundgarden member Jason Everman found success in the Army

Jason Everman may not be a huge name in the music world, but he has played with some of the biggest best out of the vibrant late-‘80s and early-‘90s Seattle scene. The former musician spent time in two of the scene’s biggest bands, Nirvana and Soundgarden, and eventually went on to become a decorated U.S. Army Special Forces member.

Everman, who is the focus of an interesting new New York Times feature about his time in both Nirvana and Soundgarden, became a member of Nirvana in 1989. In fact, the liner notes for Nirvana’s debut album, “Bleach,” credit Everman as the band’s guitarist. According to bass player Krist Novoselic’s interview with the New York Times, Everman even helped pay off the album’s producer that famous sum of $606.17. “Jason was very generous,” Novoselic said. “And he’d had a job. So he had, like, bucks, OK? You know how it said it was recorded for like six hundred and something bucks on the back of the record? Jason paid for that.”

As Novoselic explains, while Nirvana enjoyed a few “great shows” with Everman, he didn’t quite make sense in the band and things “went south really fast.” Everman left Nirvana in 1989 after touring with the band to promote “Bleach.”

The following year, Everman scored another grunge gig: playing bass for fellow Seattle group Soundgarden. According to guitarist Kim Thayil, the guys of Soundgarden didn’t care that Everman didn’t get along with Nirvana when he joined their band. “He didn’t fit with Nirvana? Big deal,” Thayil told the New York Times. “That’s them. We’re Soundgarden. We’re a different animal.” That arrangement didn’t work either, and after touring with Soundgarden for a year, Everman was led go from the group in 1990.

Everman went on to join Mindfunk for a short period of time, and then, he went a completely new route and joined the Army in 1993. Eventually, Everman became a Ranger and a decorated elite Special Forces member and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He received an honorable discharge in 2006 and graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Everman’s story just proves to never give up on finding one’s place in life.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based music reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, Loudwire.com and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.