Mike McCready

I would love for people to enjoy our music and have feelings from it. That's all I can hope for.

I honestly grew up listening to the Stones more. But that doesn't mean I don't love the Beatles.

I love playing with Jeff. That's something I never really say in the press, but he's my favorite bass player. I've played right next to him for 10 years.

To be able to make a living doing what I love is truly a gift, and I'm thankful for that every day.

I wanted to start doing more music, doing more things than just playing guitar. I started taking singing lessons and piano lessons. I need to learn more things, to be an artist or whatever, and then transfer that back into writing songs.

We want to have a life outside of Pearl Jam, too.

Black Diamond' blew my mind. Ace Frehley came onstage and did it with us at Madison Square Garden a few years ago, which was a total high watermark in my life. When I was 13, I never thought in a million years that I would even talk to him; I'd probably pass out. And here I am playing with him!

I've been denied coverage two times in my life - and it's after I've been in a big successful rock band. And I've a lot of met people who've been denied coverage who don't have the resources to fight the insurance companies. And they shouldn't have to do that.

Life is a pre-existing condition.

Throughout my life of having Crohn's, I've been on and off prednisone when other stuff was not working.

The average life spans of many bands are not that long, up to five years if they are lucky.

I have lived most my life with chronic inflammation and constant pain with immediate diarrhea.