Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Quit Smoking After Chat With Martin Short

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Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder revealed in a podcast interview that he quit smoking again after a conversation with comedian Martin Short during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vedder said he had started smoking again during the pandemic but when Short asked if he was smoking cigarettes or pot, and Vedder said cigarettes, Short replied, "Oh, are you still waiting for more literature on that?" Vedder said that was the last time he ever had a cigarette, though he joked that may not be entirely true.

Why it matters

Vedder's story highlights how a simple conversation can sometimes be the push someone needs to make a positive change in their life, even for a high-profile celebrity like the Pearl Jam singer. It also shows the power of peer influence, as Short was able to get through to Vedder in a way previous attempts to quit may not have.

The details

During the interview on the Fly on the Wall podcast with Dana Carvey and David Spade, Vedder said he had started smoking again during the pandemic after initially trying to quit. When Short called to check in on him, Vedder told the comedian he was "frustrated" with himself for smoking again. Short then asked if Vedder was smoking cigarettes or pot, and when Vedder said cigarettes, Short's reply of "Oh, are you still waiting for more literature on that?" was apparently the push Vedder needed to quit for good.

• Vedder started smoking again during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Vedder had the conversation with Martin Short during the pandemic.

What they’re saying