Playing at the Ohana Festival in September 2024, Eddie Vedder praised the festival for having “so much diversity” in the range of artists that came out to play on the festival stages. However, he noted that it had been a while since they’d had a “powerful young woman onstage.” So, he decided to remedy this by inviting his 16-year-old daughter, Harper Vedder, out to sit alongside him and join him in a duet, creating a father-daughter moment that Music Man readers will love.
Eddie began the performance by playing ‘Last Kiss’, written by Wayne Cochran but popularized in 1999 by Pearl Jam. After the first verse, the duo put a twist on the song as Harper began to sing ‘The Best Day’ by Taylor Swift. Having written the song about her relationship with her parents, Taylor’s song turned the duet into an even more moving moment. Fans online adored the duet, and one viewer commented, “Beautiful father/daughter duet. What memories to cherish!”
Harper wasn’t the only daughter Eddie Vedder shared the stage with that weekend. He also joined his older daughter, 17-year-old Olivia Vedder, to perform alongside Glen Hansard. Olivia joined Glen onstage first of all in order to perform ‘My Father’s Daughter’ – a song released in 2021 by Vedder, Hansard, and Olivia herself. With Olivia on vocals and Glen on guitar, the moment became even more moving when Eddie was spotted watching from the wings with his arm around his other daughter, Harper.
When the song was finished, Eddie gave both his daughters a hug. Then, it was his turn to join Glen onstage to perform a duet of their song ‘Tender Mercies’. As the tender ballad unfolded, it became an incredibly emotional moment for Eddie when he looked over at his daughters watching from the wings, the sight of them causing him to be moved to tears. Despite his high emotions, Eddie powered through, giving audience members a performance they wouldn’t be able to forget any time soon.
Many Music Man readers may be aware of Eddie Vedder’s complicated relationship with his own father. However, this meant that fans who watch the videos will be even more moved to see the closeness Eddie shares with his daughters. Over the course of the Ohana Festival, Eddie showcased the respect and love he shares with his daughters as he shared the stage with them both. The moving ballads they performed were a striking reminder of the ways that music can bring us together and give us a way to show the people we love that we love them.
If you would like to hear more from Eddie Vedder, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Stay connected with Eddie by following his journey on Facebook and Instagram. For more information about Eddie and his work with Pearl Jam, visit his official website.