March 12, 2018

Andy

Chris,

It has been nearly ten months since I’ve had to accept this new normal. It has been such a struggle. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t reflected on you and the immeasurable impact you have had on my life. I still remember the first time I was introduced to your music. It was 1995 and I was a college freshman in Evanston. I was a latecomer to the Seattle rock scene, aided by my roommates’ music collection which included several Soundgarden CDs. Little did I know then that my world was about to undergo a seismic change!! I recall the first time I played Superunknown. Mind. Blown. It was like nothing I had ever heard before, or since. Somehow, your music has a way of making me happy and sad at the same time. And upon hearing that voice – the range, the power, and the emotion. Just, wow! Untouchable. And those howling highs – how is that even humanly possible?? Your vocal energy and spirit grab me every time. But your lyrics are what I find most profound – poetic, masterful, thought-invoking, simultaneously direct while still open to individual interpretation. Immensely powerful because your words are so personal and genuine. They are sugar-coated only by your insanely beautiful singing and melodies.

As a teenager discovering your music, it was like being thrown a lifeline that I didn’t yet know I needed. I struggled with anxiety, depression, and feeling withdrawn. At that age I didn’t know how to process those feelings, so I tried to force “normalcy” on the outside. Like how you later described The Day I Tried to Live. Meanwhile, I was sliding on the inside. You entered my life at just the right time; your music picked me up and carried me through my most difficult years. And in time, you helped me embrace my differences as qualities and shaped me into the person I’m proud to have become. I feel like I’ve been on a journey with you, with me always a bit behind and drawing from your courage. To me, you got it, you had it figured out, and I knew I would be doing right to follow your lead. Thank you so much for being willing to bare your soul to the world, for helping me see my own, for helping me find my way, and for giving me strength to keep on rowing.

You’ve taken me on one heck of a roller-coaster – from my initial discovery of Soundgarden, to coping with the breakup in 1997, to hearing you emerge re-energized with Audioslave (Cochise was a fitting re-introduction!), to the total euphoria of seeing your message “The 12-year break is over & school is back in session”, to final heartbreak. I was very fortunate to see you in concert seven times – the first in 1996 with Soundgarden and the last in Seattle 2014 at your fireside-like Songbook acoustic solo show. You have given me a wealth of concert memories that I cherish deeply, on top of an awe-inspiring body of music that continues to intrigue, amaze, and inspire. One of the highlights of my life was meeting you backstage after your Seattle show in 2007. My wife’s introduction said it all: “Chris, I’d like you to meet your biggest fan!” And in classic CC form, you shared your awesome sense of humor by reaching for the camera to take a picture of my wife and I right after she’d asked “could we get a picture before you go?” We still laugh about that to this day.

Beyond your musical genius, I came to realize just how incredibly kind, humble, caring, and compassionate you are – to your family, to your fans, to everyone. You are a rockstar of a musician and of a human being. Your genuine spirit shows in everything you said and did. I believe, deep down, that was my draw to you all along. I am so very proud to call you my friend, my role model, and my hero.

Loud Love, my friend. Thank you for giving us all you had. You are missed dearly and will never be forgotten.

Andy Hill

Annett Brockmann

Listening to your voice and watching pictures and videos of you everyday. I’ll always love and miss you my dear Christopher. Forever heartbroken 💔

Annett

February 12, 2018

Catherine Snodgrass

Chris

I was born in 2000 and my parents named me after Mr Cornell. I have always carried his name proudly and will forever continue to do that. His music, his voice, he has changed my life. His music was there in the darkest night. I don‘t think I would have still been here if it wasn‘t for his music. I love you sir, I hope we may meet in a future life. I love you so much, thanks for making me the person i am now.

Chris

Natasha Del Rio

Hi, this website is kind of broken and I can’t quite see what I’m typing, but I wanted to submit a fan art piece I made in Chris’s honor not long after he died. I was devastated and heartbroken and cried my eyes out when I heard my hero passed, and making this was the only thing that helped me feel a little better. I hope you enjoy it.

Natasha

Tonia

I don’t really know where to begin. Even now, it feels mad to write something for the man who, in my humble opinion, had the best voice in rock ever. My sister and I, her rock star is Eddie Vedder (great choice Nims), mine was always Chris.

I am 46. I grew up with many 70s things, until GRUNGE exploded onto the scene. I lived in south coast UK. I still do. I would have given a bloody kidney to have gone to Seattle back in that day. I was born in December 71. We were all children influenced by the 60’s and early 70’s. That spirit of rock, that freedom. My parents, silly young when they had me, embraced that spirit, that freedom, that vibe. They fully supported me in all my adventures. I am aware I ramble – Chris was a trailblazer of the scene that captured me at just 18. The pic I am adding is me, at 18, a family photo after I had been at a rock club all night, moshing to Soundgarden, Alice in Chains etc.

I finally saw him live at Hyde Park Calling a few years ago and he was pure magic. He bought out his lil kids to meet everyone and the audience went wild. He was supporting Aerosmith but really, he shone much brighter. Vicky, I am so sorry for your loss. The moment I heard I texted my husband with the words “My rock star died.” His reply: “Oh my Toni, I am so sorry, I know how much he moved you.”

He moved so many of us that way. many of us. I am a teacher. No-one at school understood. I stood, in that staffroom, aged 46, with tears rolling. His loss is a massive loss to the world, but more so to his family. I send you love, I send you thanks, he was and is an amazing man and talent. Thank you for shaping my life, Mr Cornell.

Tonia

Leandro Bargas

Chris, we are missing you too much…

How I wish you could be there.

We will love you forever

Alaways thinking about you, brother.

You are a hero.

No one can be like you

Hope to see you someday

Brother

Leandro Alessandro Bargas from Brazil.

This picture is you taking a picture of the Lollapalooza crowd. You were so happy that day and your fans cannot explain the emotion.

Thank you

Darlene Williams

To Vicky,

I want you to know that I owe Chris when he got me through one of the deepest times of my life, my little girl’s Dad had left me, I went and got my first tattoo, the artist played Audioslave the whole 3 hours, afterwards I asked him who had he been playing and he told me. I went right out and bought the CD and from that moment on on his voice has helped me through the darkest and brightest days. Be thankful you have had the blessing of being his soul mate. He will find you. I will never believe he took his life, but I will carry him as I go.

love Darlene

Stefano

Is it possible to leave so easily? In this way? Chris……you did not make it; you did it all, except in this one.
I think it is difficult to understand the human soul, it is difficult to think of knowing everything about a person, because sometimes the deepest secrets come out suddenly and destroy everything: certainties, love, hope, the destiny of those who remain…I just want to believe that all this confirms how strong our ties were.
We must also be strong for others, now this pain has approached hundreds of thousands of people and has indirectly changed our paths; my road was closed, at least once in my life I wanted to see your live concert…..you have deprived me of this, I cried for this.
Remain respect for what you have done and what is continuing in your memory: your voice, your lyrics, your music and your energy…..now you are everywhere, this is the consolation.

RIP

From Italy

Stefano Masi

Analía

‘Grief is the last act of love we have to give to those we loved.
Where there is deep grief, there was great love.’

Dear Chris,

I still can’t believe you’re gone. I think of you every day. Sometimes I feel very sad, because we couldn’t help you and we’ll never understand what exactly happened to you that awful night… But you left us so many songs and memories… You were a poet, a genius, a really true artist. Every song is a world of beautiful visions and deep emotions. You were the sweet sunshower of my youth and the shelter of my broken heart every time I fell on black days…
You were so incredible special… That’s why you’re so loved and missed.
Your amazing talent and legacy will never die. You’ll always live in the heart of all your fans.
I will never forget your sweet smile and your beautiful soul.
Chris, voice of my generation, I promise I’ll listen to your music for the rest of my life.

No one sings like you anymore.
CHRIS CORNELL FOREVER

Analía
Buenos Aires, Argentina