About Mike
Michael David McCready is a founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam, a blues-soaked player whose solos have been part of Seattle's sound for more than three decades.
The short version
Mike McCready was born on April 5, 1966 in Pensacola, Florida, and his family moved to Seattle shortly afterward. He grew up on Jimi Hendrix and Santana records played by his parents, bought his first guitar at eleven and formed his first band in eighth grade.
In 1990 he joined Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament in the band that became Pearl Jam. Alongside Eddie Vedder, they went on to define the sound of the Seattle grunge scene, and Mike's expressive, feel-driven lead guitar has been a signature of the band ever since.
Away from Pearl Jam, he has played in Temple of the Dog, Mad Season, The Rockfords and more, and he uses his platform to support causes including Crohn's disease awareness and the Washington Innocence Project.
- Full nameMichael David McCready
- BornApril 5, 1966, Pensacola, Florida
- Raised inSeattle, Washington
- Main bandPearl Jam (since 1990)
- Also played inTemple of the Dog, Mad Season, The Rockfords, Flight to Mars
- HonorsRock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2017 (with Pearl Jam)
- Signature guitarFender Mike McCready Stratocaster
The story, year by year
- Childhood
Mike's parents play Hendrix and Santana at home while his friends listen to Kiss and Aerosmith. At eleven he buys his first guitar and starts taking lessons.
- Eighth grade
He forms his first band, which starts life as Warrior and soon becomes Shadow. At Roosevelt High School the group plays covers during free periods, then begins writing and recording originals.
- 1986 to 1988
Shadow moves to Los Angeles to chase a record deal, then returns to Seattle and splits up. Mike drifts away from the guitar for a while.
- A Stevie Ray Vaughan show
Seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan at The Gorge in Washington lifts him out of a low period and gets him playing again. He joins a band called Love Chile, where childhood friend Stone Gossard sees him play.
- 1990
After Mother Love Bone ends, Gossard asks Mike to jam. Mike encourages him to reconnect with Jeff Ament, and Pearl Jam is formed with Eddie Vedder and drummer Dave Krusen joining the lineup.
- 1991
Temple of the Dog's album arrives in April, and Mike, in his first recording-studio experience, takes a central role, including the long solo on "Reach Down," a track he counts among his proudest moments. Pearl Jam's debut, Ten, follows and becomes one of the best-selling alternative albums of the decade.
- 1993 to 1996
Vs. and Vitalogy cement the band's success. In 1994 Mike forms Mad Season, whose album Above arrives in 1995, and in 1995 he joins Pearl Jam in backing Neil Young on Mirror Ball and a European tour.
- 1998 to 2009
He writes the music for "Given to Fly," one of the band's biggest hits, and contributes his first lyrics to the self-titled 2006 album. Side projects include The Rockfords, whose debut came out in 2000.
- 2013 to 2017
He plays in Walking Papers and the Levee Walkers, publishes the Polaroid photo book Of Potato Heads and Polaroids (2017) and is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Pearl Jam.
- 2018
MusiCares honors him with its Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his support of others in addiction recovery.
- 2020 to 2024
Pearl Jam releases Gigaton (2020) and Dark Matter (2024). Mike also lends guitar to Ozzy Osbourne's Patient Number 9 on the track "Immortal."
- 2026
Mike announces Farewell to Seasons, a graphic novel and rock opera album, and helps organize the Justice Jam benefit concert in Nashville. He also joins Soundgarden's tribute performances with Taylor Momsen on vocals.
Style and influences
Mike's playing is aggressive, bluesy and "feel-oriented." He has cited Jimi Hendrix, Ace Frehley, Stevie Ray Vaughan, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend and Eddie Van Halen as major influences, and he's a lifelong Rolling Stones fan.
His solos on "Alive" and "Yellow Ledbetter" made Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos list in 2007, and Rolling Stone placed him and Stone Gossard together at number 124 on its 2023 list of the 250 greatest guitarists.
Songwriting
His first writing credit with Pearl Jam was the music for "Yellow Ledbetter," now the band's regular set-closer. He later wrote the music for "Present Tense" and three songs on Yield, including "Given to Fly," and often writes in alternate tunings such as open G and a variation of open D.
Causes close to his heart
Diagnosed with Crohn's disease at 21, Mike has worked to raise awareness of it and plays an annual benefit concert for the Northwest chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. He's also a long-time supporter of the Washington Innocence Project.
Seattle through and through
Mike is a lifelong supporter of the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners and Sounders, and has performed the national anthem at Mariners games. His favorite author is John Steinbeck.
Sources: Wikipedia: Mike McCready, Consequence and Guitar.com.
Keep going
See every band and collaboration on the Projects page, or head to Gear and Guitars to see what he plays.