The Grunge Guitarist Who Quit Music to Join the Military

Do you remember the grunge guitarist who played in a couple of big bands and then quit music to join the military back in the ’90s?

Jason Everman is known for playing both the guitar and bass in a couple of groups in the late ’80s and early ’90s, two of which became massive.

First he joined Nirvana in 1989 as an additional guitarist and also funded the recording session for Bleach, though he didn’t actually play on the album. He did play on tour with the group in support of the record, but was fired later that year.

Everman was then recruited by Soundgarden to play bass following the departure of their founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto. He played with them on tour in support of their sophomore record Louder Than Love and then quit immediately after. He was replaced by Ben Shepherd.

The nomadic rocker went on to play in a few other bands but decided to end his musical career shortly after and pursue one of his other passions instead — the military.

That’s the basic rundown of Everman’s history, so let’s dive into his interesting past, his time in the military and the other bands he played in a bit more.

How Did Jason Everman End Up in Nirvana?

During an interview with Joe Rogan, Everman admitted that pursuing music professionally wasn’t something he had actually intended to do.

“I loved playing in bands and I love playing music, but it was at this punk rock level where you were never gonna make a living at it. It was just something fun to do,” Everman explained.

The musician recalled that when he joined Nirvana, they weren’t as well-known — even in the Pacific Northwest scene — as other groups such as Soundgarden and Mudhoney. He suggested that Kurt Cobain wanted a second guitarist to complement their live performances and allow him to focus more on his vocals during shows.

Why Did Nirvana Split With Everman?

Some sources note that Everman was fired by Nirvana, but the following is from his perspective told during the aforementioned interview with Rogan.

“Initially, I thought I was gonna be able to contribute to the band creatively and then it got to the point where I realized that wasn’t gonna happen,” he said, adding that there was poor communication and passive aggressiveness between the band members.

Even when he tried to contribute ideas, Everman claimed that Cobain “glossed over” them and turned the focus toward something he wrote instead. Eventually, Everman grew unhappy with the situation and left.

Jason Everman’s Last Show With Nirvana

How Did Everman Join Soundgarden?

Everman planned to stop doing music following his spit with Nirvana and pursue something else instead. But first, he wanted to fulfill one of his childhood dreams and trek through the Himalayas.

“At the end of summer [in 1989], Kim [Thayil] from Soundgarden called me,” he said.

Thayil asked if Everman wanted to audition in place of Yamamoto and since Soundgarden were his favorite Seattle band at the time, he agreed. He didn’t expect to actually land the gig, but like with Nirvana, his time with Soundgarden was short.

Why Did Everman Leave Soundgarden?

Everman didn’t go into a ton of detail about his split with Soundgarden, but revealed that it wasn’t his decision.

“I got fired,” the musician confessed. “It’s complicated, but I think at the end of the day I wasn’t getting along with Chris [Cornell] that well… And obviously, who’s gonna go? It was me.”

“Sometimes his moods would have him disassociate from the rest of us,” Thayil told Avaunt Magazine of their time with Everman. “We were perfectly capable of handling that, but unfortunately it made it difficult to bond and gel as a unit and a team, which was something we really needed. It really shook us that we lost Hiro.”

READ MORE: 16 Musicians Who’ve Served in the U.S. Military

The only Soundgarden recordings the bassist played on were their cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” and their Louder Than Live home video.

“I never thought they would get as big as they did and honestly it kind of surprised me when they did. They were a great band but I always thought they were a little too quirky to be huge, despite the Chris factor,” Everman shared.

“I loved that band and I loved playing with them and having that taken away really fucked me up for a bit.”

Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and Jason Everman in 1989

What Bands Did Everman Play in After Soundgarden?

Even though Everman had admitted he didn’t intend to pursue a musical career, he played in two more bands following his time with Nirvana and Soundgarden. He remembered his firing from Soundgarden being a “rough patch” in his life and so he moved to New York as a means of doing “something radical” to try and change it.

“I got a job in a warehouse, got an apartment and kind of started my New York life,” Everman reflected. “The main plan was to get out of this funk that I was in.”

Among his East Coast endeavors were stints with the New Jersey bands Old Lady Drivers — later shortened to OLD — and Mind Funk. He played bass on the former’s 1991 album Lo Flux Tube and guitar on the latter’s 1993 release Dropped. 

Everman moved back across the country sometime in ’93 while he was still with Mind Funk and settled in San Francisco. He noted experimenting with a lot of hallucinogenic drugs and eventually heroin. That lifestyle combined with the lack of success with Mind Funk made him realize it was time to head in a different direction.

How Did Everman End Up in the Military?

Around 1993, Everman started planning out what he wanted to do with his life now on a more permanent basis. He recalled always being very interested in the military because both of his grandfathers had served in World War II.

“I endeavored to actively author my own life… making a life that kept me engaged, kept me interested and was meaningful to me. So the military seemed more and more like a viable option for that next page and that next step,” he reasoned.

Everman started studying books on special operations and the Vietnam War, working on his physical fitness and eventually met with an Army recruiter. He fulfilled his touring obligations with Mind Funk through the rest of the year and started basic training in 1994.

“It was a necessary step for the progression,” Everman stated.

What Did Everman Do in the Military?

The former musician was selected for the 2nd Ranger Battalion and served a four-year enlistment. He took a break for a few years and went to community college for a time before re-enlisting in the Army.

“I was in the Special Forces qualification course when 9/11 happened,” he said. “Everyone knew that everything’s changing right now. This is 100 percent for real.”

Thus, Everman went from playing instruments on rock tours to serving tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The war and combat was definitely the most profound experience of my life for sure,” he affirmed. “I never had a doubt that maybe I would get injured or killed.”

After leaving the army, Everman went back to school in 2007. He studied philosophy at Columbia University in New York and obtained his undergraduate degree in three years.

What Is Everman Doing Today?

Everman took a break from school, moved to Argentina for a few years and then came back to the U.S. and received his Master’s Degree in 2017. At the time the Rogan interview came out two years ago, he said he was mainly doing yacht deliveries and sailing.

“I’m so glad things turned out the way they did. I never look back and go, I wish I was this rich rock guy. On so many levels I’m glad I didn’t,” he reasoned. “I wholeheartedly believe I came out the other end better on every level. I’m happier now at 55 than I’ve ever been in my entire life and each year gets better.”

Watch the full podcast episode below.

Jason Everman Interview With Joe Rogan