Surprising Historical (Music) Figure - An surprisingly unknown (at least to me) but important music figure is a man named Jack Irons (no relation to Jeremy Irons). Irons was the original drummer and founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and occasional drummer for the band that would become Pearl Jam, and most importantly led to their acquisition of frontman Eddie Vedder.
After undergoing a series of name and bandmate changes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers were officially formed in 1983 consisting of Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Hillel Slovak and Irons all attending the same high school. After some slight early success, difficulties struck the band as Kiedis and Slovak both developed serious drug addictions. Slovak's addiction led to his death in 1988, not long after the conclusion of the bands tour. Kiedis subsequently fled L.A considering the situation to be surreal and dreamlike. Upon his return, with the band in a state of confusion, Irons quit, stating he did not want to be part of a group where his friends are dying.
After leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Irons went to a psychiatric hospital to receive treatment for his severe depression. In 1990 he formed a band called Eleven but during this time he also departed to occasionally drum with a band called Mookie Blaylock, which would become Pearl Jam. At the time Mookie Blaylock was looking for both a drummer and a lead singer. Because he was committed to his band Eleven at the time, Irons declined an invite to join the band officially. He did, however, pass on a cassette of the bands work to a singer in San Diego named Eddie Vedder. Irons had formed a friendship with Vedder after meeting him through the Southern California music scene and playing basketball with him. Vedder then joined the band, who renamed themselves Pearl Jam. Irons also called his friends who continued the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1991 and asked the band to allow Pearl Jam to open for the band on its upcoming Blood Sugar Sex Magik tour.
The rest is of course music history....
Additional side note: When Eddie Vedder flew up to Seattle from San Diego to audition for the newly formed Pearl Jam, he was at one of the Temple of the Dog rehearsals and ended up providing backing vocals. "Hunger Strike" became a duet between Cornell and Vedder. It became Temple of the Dog's breakout single and was Vedder's first featured vocal on a record.
Book Recommendation -
by Emma Larkin
An interesting book that takes the reader along on a journey to Burma (present day Myanmar) as the author looks to retrace George Orwell's life as a British Colonial officer in the country from (1922-1927). The book is part travelogue, part political commentary, part biography, and is well-researched and informative. The author theorizes that Orwell's writing was greatly influenced by his time spent in Burma including his anti-colonial viewpoints and cynicism. She also poses the argument that three of Orwell's Novels - Burmese Days, Animal Farm, 1984 - can be viewed in parallel with the history and evolution of Burmese politics in the 20th century. Burmese Days highlights the colonial days, Animal Farm - the assassination of popular country hero Aung San (Snowball in Animal Farm) and the failed socialist experiment and the rise of the military regime under Ne Win (Napoleon in Animal Farm), and 1984 - authoritarian regime and system of government censorship, control and suppression.
Though written in 2004, and events have changed significantly in Myanmar since this release (Aung San Suu Kyi went from political prisoner to State Counsellor; ethnic conflicts with government remain ongoing- Rohingya), it provides a very useful insight into the country, culture, and politics from an outsider perspective (both historical and at the time current) but with significant insight from candid conversations and interviews with locals.
Topical Music -
"Hunger Strike" - Temple of the Dog
"Say Hello to Heaven" - Temple of the Dog
"Reach Out" - Eleven
"Fight Like A Brave" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Corduroy" - Pearl Jam
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