The grunge group David Letterman said were “more than a band”
Legendary talk show host David Letterman has been fortunate enough to grow close with a litany of iconic artists and bands through his work. He used his position as the host of The Late Show with David Letterman to shine a light on new talent and acts that he believed deserved to receive national attention.
Many of these artists went on to become global superstars, but they always found time within their busy schedules to return to visit Letterman. The comedian played vital roles in establishing the careers of countless acts, including handing a television debut to Foo Fighters, who soon became rock giants and asserted themselves as one of the world’s most successful bands.
One band that was a frequent guest on The Late Show is Pearl Jam, who made their debut in 1996. Unlike many of the other bands who appeared on the programme, they were already wildly successful when they first performed, and they later went on to play on Letterman’s stage a further six times.
When the band were set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, Neil Young was the natural choice to induct the group. After all, he’d previously collaborated with Pearl Jam on the 1995 album Mirror Ball and maintained a close relationship with the Seattle rock icons.
Despite initially agreeing to induct the band, Young could not fulfil his commitments, allowing Letterman to deputise for the Canadian singer-songwriter. Although he wasn’t their first choice, the host delivered an exceptional speech straight from the heart.
Reflecting on his relationship with the band, Letterman discussed the birth of the grunge movement, which connected with him despite not belonging to the targeted demographic. He noted: “Then, in 1991, things in the whole musical culture changed with the album titled Ten. And it was like a Chinook coming out of the Pacific Northwest, and it was, it had anger to it, and it appealed to twentysomething people who felt displaced and unemployed and left out. And I was almost 50, and even I was pissed off. And it was also easy to dance to, but that’s another deal.”
Letterman continued: “And then it turned out that these guys in Pearl Jam were something more than a band. They were a true, living cultural organism. They would recognise injustice and they would stand up to it, whether it was human rights, whether it was environment, whether it was poverty, they didn’t let it wash over them, they would stand up and react.”
The comedian also praised their performances on his show, stating: “These guys, I used to have a television show, they were on my show for ten different times over the years. And every time they were there, they would blow the roof off the place. And I’m not talking figuratively. They actually blew the roof off the place. For two years, I did a show without a roof on the goddamned theatre.”
Watch Letterman’s full induction speech for Pearl Jam at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame below.
