Does anyone know why Dave Abburzeze (sp?) - Pearl Jam's drummer for most of the early 90's during their peak in popularity - was kicked out of the group? Their current drummer is Matt Cameron from the now defunked Soundgarden, and PJ's had a few other less interesting drummers inbetween. But Abburzeze has got to be one of my favorite all-time drum heroes, and I've always wondered why he got the boot. I can't imagine it was drugs.

Also - I've always wondered why Mike Starr, original bass player for Alice in Chains, got the boot as well.

These are two questions that've been driving me nuts for years, and I'm hoping someone here might know.

Thanks a pantload in advance to the music buffs out there who can set my mind at ease. :)

I heard Abbruzzese had just some different taste. Band/writer wanted different drums than he wanted or so. He didn't want to play their way and got kicked. Is what I'm told. Not too sure, though.

I read somewhere that Mike Starr didn't like the attention and media circus that followed AIC's breakthrough. He didn't get fired, he quit.

Yes, Dave Abbruzzese (I checked in my VS booklet, you almost had it.. :D ) was the best PJ drummer, but I thought that Jack Irons was pretty solid. The drums in Brain of J are really good!

There's the old joke:
Q:what was the last thing the drummer said before he was kicked out of the band
A: Now lets try some of the songs I wrote.

This could have been a factor.
I heared that David Grohl wrote a tonne of songs whilst in Nirvana but didn't tell the rest of the group because of this, so when Kurt died he had a tonne of songs ready to go for the Foo Fighters and even started recording a few even before he had finnished recruiting.

Given the relative lack of publicity I would suggest that the decision was mutral, I mean if either the band or Dave were pissed off about it they probably would have made a bit of noise about it.

I heared that David Grohl wrote a tonne of songs whilst in Nirvana but didn't tell the rest of the group because of this, so when Kurt died he had a tonne of songs ready to go for the Foo Fighters and even started recording a few even before he had finnished recruiting.Not so at all. Dave Grohl founded the Foo Fighters while Nirvana were still going strong. It was considered a side project. Krist Novaselich had a side project as well, but it didn't go anywhere. The rest of Nirvana knew full well Grohl's songwriting talent.

Ok, Grohl said something to that effect on Triple J (aussie radio station) a while back, and I guess I interpreted it wrong.