by Soundgarden recently shared a birthday tribute to former bassist Jason Everman, who turned 58 on October 16th, in a post on Soundgarden’s official Instagram account.
The band reflected on Everman’s contributions during his time with the group and his remarkable post-music career.
“Happy Birthday to Jason Everman!! Soundgarden’s bassist during 1989-90 turns 58 today, October 16th!” the band wrote.
“Jason performs on the Louder Than Live VHS home video and promotionally released album from 1990, and in the videos for the singles, ‘Hands All Over’ and ‘Loud Love.’ He also plays on Soundgarden’s studio b-side cover of the Beatles’ ‘Come Together.’ Some of these tracks also appear on their ‘best of’ retrospective, Telephantasm and their 3 album rarities collection, Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path.”
The message also highlighted Everman’s diverse musical career and his transition to military service.
“Jason also played bass with OLD, and played guitar with Nirvana and Mindfunk during his career in rock music,” the band continued. “After leaving the music industry Jason went on to achieve as a U.S. Army Ranger (2nd battalion) and later as a Green Beret (3rd special forces group). His rank is E-7 SFC. This is Jason in uniform. Thank you for your service Jason!”
The tribute marks a rare public acknowledgment from the band of Everman’s unique journey from rock musician to decorated military veteran.
Everman’s path through the grunge scene began even before his time with Soundgarden. Loudwire reported that he joined Nirvana in February 1989 as a second guitarist. He helped fund the recording sessions for their debut album Bleach using money he had saved from working in Alaska. Although he did not play on the album, he is credited as a second guitarist and appears on the album cover.
Everman’s tenure with Nirvana was short-lived. Coffee or Die noted that he was fired from the band in July 1989 due to conflicts with Kurt Cobain and the band’s dynamic. He then joined Soundgarden in 1990 as a bassist, temporarily replacing founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto. After touring in support of Louder Than Love, Everman left the band in mid-1990 and was replaced by Ben Shepherd.
Following his departure from the music industry, Everman embarked on a remarkable military career. Combat Operators detailed that he initially served as an Army Ranger in the 1990s. This role involved rigorous training and deployment in challenging environments. He later reenlisted in 2000 and joined the Special Operations Forces, earning the prestigious title of Green Beret.
Everman’s military service included deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. This demonstrated his commitment to serving in combat zones. His transition from the grunge music scene to elite military service reflects a desire for new challenges and a sense of purpose beyond his rock career. This makes him one of the most unique figures to emerge from the Seattle music scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
