Eric Avery
His hypnotic, melodic bass lines provided the dark, pulsating heartbeat for Jane's Addiction, fundamentally altering alternative rock's DNA.
Born 1965 (age 61)·American musician·Birthday: April 25·Generation X
Biography
Eric Avery was the quiet architect of a seismic sound. As a founding member of Jane's Addiction in the mid-80s, his bass wasn't just support; it was a lead voice, weaving complex, hypnotic lines that were as foundational as any guitar riff. His playing on albums like 'Nothing's Shocking' and 'Ritual de lo Habitual' created a tense, rhythmic undercurrent that allowed the band's psychedelic and punk energies to collide. Famously resistant to the machinery of rock stardom, Avery left the band at its initial peak, walking away from massive fame. He spent years in deliberate obscurity, working on low-key projects and largely avoiding the spotlight. In a surprising second act, he joined the alt-rock band Garbage in 2005 as a touring and session member, bringing his distinctive tone to their later albums and becoming a full creative partner. His career is defined by this pattern: immense influence wielded on his own terms, preferring musical integrity to the glare of the mainstream.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Eric was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eric Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Eric's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and performed on Jane's Addiction's landmark albums 'Nothing's Shocking' (1988) and 'Ritual de lo Habitual' (1990).
- His inventive bass work, as on 'Three Days' and 'Ocean Size,' became a blueprint for 1990s alternative and progressive rock.
- Performed as the bassist for Garbage for 17 years, contributing to three studio albums and world tours.
- His post-Jane's project, Polar Bear, released a self-titled album in 2005 featuring members of Rage Against the Machine.
Did You Know?
He initially learned to play guitar but switched to bass because the first band he was asked to join needed a bassist.
He is the son of a Lutheran minister.
He turned down an invitation to rejoin Jane's Addiction for their 1997 reunion tour, a decision he held to for over a decade.
He contributed bass to Alanis Morissette's hit song 'You Oughta Know' during the 'Jagged Little Pill' sessions, though the released version features Flea.
““I left Jane’s Addiction because I felt like the thing we set out to do was done.””
