Jason Everman | |
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 Everman serving with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan (from 2013 NYT article) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Jason Mark Everman (1967-10-16)October 16, 1967 (age 58) |
| Origin | Poulsbo, Washington, U.S. |
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| Member of | Silence & Light |
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| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1994–2006 |
| Rank | Sergeant First Class |
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| Battles / wars | |
Jason Mark Everman (born October 16, 1967) is an American musician and soldier who played guitar withNirvana andMind Funk, and bass inSoundgarden andOLD. He later served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan with theU.S. Army as anArmy Ranger andGreen Beret. As of May 2017, Everman plays the guitar in a military veteran band called Silence & Light.
In a 2013 interview withThe New York Times Magazine, Everman said when asked about his birthplace, "My birth certificate saysKodiak, but I'm pretty sure it wasOuzinkie, where my parents lived in a two-room cabin with a petocelot named Kia." His parents had moved to the remoteSpruce Island to, as guitarist and writerClay Tarver put it, "get back to nature", but their marriage did not "work out". His mother left with Jason when he was a toddler, moved toWashington, and married a formerNavy serviceman; the family eventually settled inPoulsbo, acrossPuget Sound fromSeattle.[1]
According to Everman's half-sister, with whom he grew up, "My mother was extremely depressed, an artistic genius who was also a pill-popping alcoholic. Jason and I learned to walk on eggshells and really learned to take care of ourselves." After an incident in which he and a friend blew up a toilet with anM-80 firecracker, his grandmother put him in therapy sessions to deal with his emotional issues. Everman began playing guitar during the therapy sessions; he initially picked up one of the guitars the therapist kept around his office, and the therapist then decided to play with him, hoping it would help him open up. He went on to play in several bands during his high school years. Also, he reestablished contact with his biological father, who by that time owned a fishing boat in Alaska, and worked several seasons on the boat.[1] Prior to joining withNirvana, he played guitar in a local band called Stonecrow with future Nirvana drummerChad Channing.[2]
Everman joined Nirvana in February 1989 as a second guitarist. He is listed as being second guitarist on Nirvana'sBleach and appears on the cover, but did not actually play on any of the tracks. Nirvana founderKurt Cobain said the credit was a token of thanks to Everman for paying a fee of $606.17 to record the album. On the 2009 remastered edition ofBleach, Everman is no longer credited but can still be seen on the front cover and he is given special thanks in the booklet.
Everman toured with Nirvana the summer of 1989 in support ofBleach. He can be heard playing guitar onTrust No-One, an unofficial release of a live performance inBoston. Cobain had broken his guitar the previous night and only provided vocals, leaving the guitar playing to Everman. Everman can also be seen in the bootleg video of Nirvana playing an "in store" performance at Rhino Records in Los Angeles on June 23, 1989. During his time with Nirvana, he could sometimes be seen usingFender guitars, generally theFender Telecaster. Nirvana fired Everman after the tour ended[1] due to his moodiness.[3]
A two-song Nirvana session featuring Everman on guitar is available, albeit in separate releases. AKiss cover called "Do You Love Me?" was released on the 1990tribute albumHard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation,[4] and "Dive" was released on2004'sWith the Lights Out.[5] Both tracks were recorded at theEvergreen State College's 24-track studio in June 1989.
Everman next joined Soundgarden in Fall of 1989 asHiro Yamamoto's temporary successor on bass. In April of that year, he played on the band's cover ofthe Beatles' "Come Together", which appeared on an EP calledLoudest Love. Everman appeared in Soundgarden'sLouder Than Live home video. Everman left immediately after Soundgarden completed its promotional tour forLouder Than Love in mid-1990 to play bass for the bandOLD (Old Lady Drivers), at which time Soundgarden found Yamamoto's ultimate successor, bassistBen Shepherd. Later, in 1993, he played guitar inMind Funk.
In September 1994, influenced byRenaissance iconBenvenuto Cellini (who stated that a well-rounded man is an artist, warrior and philosopher), he left Mind Funk to enlist in theUnited States Army, subsequently serving with the Army's2nd Ranger Battalion, Delta Company and later with theSpecial Forces, serving tours inAfghanistan andIraq.[6] After completing his service, he took a break from the military and lived in New York City where he briefly worked as a bike messenger. He then traveled toTibet and worked and studied in a Buddhist monastery before returning to the U.S. He reentered the Army when offered the chance to joinSpecial Forces.
After receiving anhonorable discharge in 2006, Everman went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy fromColumbia University School of General Studies on May 20, 2013.[6] GeneralStanley A. McChrystal wrote a letter of recommendation for his application.[1] In September 2010, Everman conducted an interview with Music Life Radio detailing his life.[7] He also briefly appears in a 2010 documentary aboutMotörhead frontmanLemmy where he described Motorhead as "Good go-to-war music."
In July 2013,The New York Times published a portrait on Everman, written by guitarist and writer Clay Tarver.[1] The article features interviews with Everman, his family members, former band colleagues, music industry people, and soldiers. A 2014The Daily Beast interview mentions that Everman was invited to attend Nirvana'sRock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, that he lives in New York, has participated in writing workshops and "still goes overseas regularly, working as a consultant for the military."[8]
Everman earned a Master's in Military History fromNorwich University in 2017.[9]
In May 2017, Everman met fellow veteran Brad Thomas in New York and the two decided to start a band named Silence & Light. By July, the band had a complete lineup consisting of military veterans with Everman playing the guitar. They began recording an album in January 2019 inVan Nuys, California. The band released a complete album in December 2019. The band's profits are dedicated to helping members of the Special Operations Community, the Military, and First Responders. The band said they consider their genre to be modern rock.[10][11]
In April 2023, Everman appeared as a guest onthe Joe Rogan Experience to talk about his life and career.[12]
With Nirvana
With Soundgarden
With OLD
With Mind Funk
With Silence & Light
Everman's awards include the following:[13]
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