Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder is well known for his commitment to various causes, from protecting the environment to feminist issues, but it’s his commitment to helping the West Memphis 3 that has affected him the most.

The story of the West Memphis 3 — three teenagers convicted of killing three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas back in 1993 — was detailed in the acclaimed 1996 documentary Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills.

Now, with a new hearing scheduled for the end of September, Vedder tells CNN’s Larry King that his friendship with one of the convicted killers, Damien Echols, has deeply affected his personal life.

“Probably one of the reasons I’m not as good a friend with the friends I now have is because I spend so much time on this case and being Damien’s friend,” says the rocker. Vedder also told King he frequently visits Echols, who was sentenced to death for his role in the killings.

“After I’ve gone to visit Damien, there are days and stretches. And, you know, that experience resonates and stays within you. And I think it’s one of the reasons I’ve really tried to do everything I could for the case… It’s stuck with me. I think about it a lot.”

Echols contributed to the lyrics for the song Army Reserve on Pearl Jam’s eponymous 2006 album.

Vedder is far from the only celebrity to rally behind Echols and the WM3. Johnny Depp, the Dixie Chicks, Henry Rollins, Marilyn Manson and South Park’s Trey Parker have all voiced their support for the cause.