Ongoing History Daily: Nirvana’s ex-second guitarist

Most people recognize Nirvana as a three-piece, although that wasn’t always the case. There was a period when the group had a second guitarist, a Seattle local named Jason Everman.

As hardcore fans may recall, it was Everman who paid the $606 recording studio bill for Nirvana’s Bleach album. That act of kindness got him a very quick gig with Nirvana which resulted in him appearing on just one song: a cover of the KISS track “Do You Love Me” for a tribute album. He also went on a two-month tour with the group.

But that ended badly because for whatever reason, he didn’t mesh with the other three guys. He was a little too metal. And there was an incident where he assaulted someone in the crowd. Everman was fired. But then he got a gig with Soundgarden that lasted a very short time.

Everman ended up in the army where he became a skilled and decorated Ranger and Green Beret, touring through both Iraq and Afghanistan.