Vedder's Early years

Vedder was born in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, the son of Karen Lee Vedder and Edward Louis Severson, Jr.^[5] His parents divorced in 1965, when Eddie was a year old. His mother soon remarried a man named Peter Mueller, and young Eddie was raised believing that Mueller was his biological father.

In the mid-1970s, the family, including Vedder's three younger half-brothers, moved to San Diego County, California. It was at this point that Eddie, who had received a guitar from his mother on his 12th birthday, began turning to music as a source of comfort. His mother and Mueller divorced when Eddie was in his late teens. His mother and brothers moved back to the Chicago area, but Eddie remained with his stepfather in California so he would not have to change high schools.

It was not until after the divorce that Eddie learned the truth about his parentage. Mueller was really his stepfather. Eddie had met his biological father briefly as a child, but had believed that Severson was merely an old friend of his parents. By the time Eddie learned the truth, Severson had died of multiple sclerosis. Eddie's already bad relationship with his stepfather became increasingly strained. He eventually dropped out of San Dieguito High School and joined the rest of his family in Chicago. He also changed his name to Eddie Vedder, "Vedder" being his mother's maiden name. This is expressed in the song "Alive" on the album Ten.

In 1984, Vedder returned to San Diego with his girlfriend, Beth Liebling. He kept busy recording demo tapes at his home and working various jobs, including positions as a night attendant at a local gas station and a contracted security guard at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla.