Jason Everman

Jason Everman
Everman serving with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan (from 2013 NYT article)
Background information
Birth name	Jason Mark Everman
Born	(1967-10-16)October 16, 1967 Ouzinkie(then-part ofKodiak),Alaska,U.S.
Origin	Poulsbo, Washington,U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal,grunge,heavy metal,death metal,grindcore,hardcore punk
Occupation(s)	Musician, soldier
Instrument(s)	Guitar, bass
Years active	1989–1994, 2017–present
Member of	Silence & Light
Formerly of	Nirvana,Soundgarden,OLD,Mind Funk,Stonecrow
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1994–2006
Rank	Sergeant First Class
Unit	2nd Ranger Battalion 3rd Special Forces Group
Battles/wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War

Jason Mark Everman(born October 16, 1967) is an American musician and soldier who played guitar withNirvanaandMind Funk,and bass inSoundgardenandOLD.He later served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan with theU.S. Armyas anArmy RangerandGreen Beret.As of May 2017, Everman plays the guitar in a military veteran band called Silence & Light.

Early life

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 petocelotnamed Kia. "His parents had moved to the remoteSpruce Islandto, as guitarist and writerClay Tarverput 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 formerNavyserviceman; the family eventually settled inPoulsbo,acrossPuget SoundfromSeattle.

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-80firecracker, 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.Prior to joining withNirvana,he played guitar in a local band called Stonecrow with future Nirvana drummerChad Channing.

Early musical career

Everman joined Nirvana in February 1989 as a second guitarist. He is listed as being second guitarist on Nirvana'sBleachand appears on the cover, but did not actually play on any of the tracks. Nirvana founderKurt Cobainsaid 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 usingFenderguitars, generally theFender Telecaster.Nirvana fired Everman after the tour endeddue to his moodiness.

A two-song Nirvana session featuring Everman on guitar is available, albeit in separate releases. AKisscover called "Do You Love Me?" was released on the 1990tribute albumHard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation,and "Dive" was released on2004'sWith the Lights Out.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 Livehome video. Everman left immediately after Soundgarden completed its promotional tour forLouder Than Lovein 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.

Later life

In September 1994, influenced byRenaissanceiconBenvenuto 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 inAfghanistanandIraq.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 toTibetand 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 dischargein 2006, Everman went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy fromColumbia University School of General Studieson May 20, 2013.GeneralStanley A. McChrystalwrote a letter of recommendation for his application.In September 2010, Everman conducted an interview with Music Life Radio detailing his life.He also briefly appears in a 2010 documentary aboutMotörheadfrontmanLemmywhere he described Motorhead as "Good go-to-war music."

In July 2013,The New York Timespublished a portrait on Everman, written by guitarist and writer Clay Tarver.The article features interviews with Everman, his family members, former band colleagues, music industry people, and soldiers. A 2014The Daily Beastinterview mentions that Everman was invited to attend Nirvana'sRock and Roll Hall of Fameinduction, that he lives in New York, has participated in writing workshops and "still goes overseas regularly, working as a consultant for the military."

Everman earned a Master's in Military History fromNorwich Universityin 2017.

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.

In April 2023, Everman appeared as a guest onthe Joe Rogan Experienceto talk about his life and career.

Discography

With Nirvana

• Bleach(1989)(Credited but does not play)
• Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation(1990)
• With the Lights Out(2004)

With Soundgarden

• Loudest Love(1990)
• Louder Than Live(1990)

With OLD

• Lo Flux Tube(1991)
• Masters of Misery – Black Sabbath: An Earache Tribute(1992)

With Mind Funk

• Dropped(1993)

With Silence & Light

• Volume One(2019)
• Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda…(2023)

Awards and decorations

Everman's awards include the following:

Combat Infantryman Badge
Army Good Conduct Medal,4 awards						National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medalwith 1 bronze star				Iraq Campaign Medalwith 1 bronze star				Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal				Army Service Ribbon				Army Overseas Service Ribbon
U.S. Army Special ForcesDistinctive unit insignia				Master Parachutist Badgewith3rd Special Forces Groupbackground trimming				Expert Marksmanship badgewith rifle component bar
Special Forces Tab				United States Army Special ForcesCombat Service Identification Badge				Ranger tab

	4Overseas Service Bars
	4Service stripes

See also

• List of pre-fame band departures

External links

• Jason EvermanatIMDb
• Jason EvermanatAllMusic
• Silence & Light SilenceAndLightMusic /pages/about-us