I remember being 14 years old, absolutely certain that my brother was headed down a dangerous path, running headlong toward disaster. Everyday, I wondered if he’d overdose, if he’d destroy his body and his brain with drugs. I wrote sad poems about it. I brooded about it. But mostly I listened to “Say Hello to Heaven” and sang along at the top of my lungs. The Temple of the Dog album, and that song specifically, gave me something to lean on, something through which I could express all my fears and sadness and pain. To this day, I am grateful for Chris’s music. His is one of the voices that defined my early life, and even now when I hear those songs, I still feel comforted by them.

Thank you, friend, for making something beautiful for the world to have. Thank you for being brave enough to express your raw emotions. Thank you from both of us – 14 year old me and 36 year old me – for holding our hand when we were hurting.

Love and comfort to Chris’s family, friends, and fellow musicians. He did what we all hope to do – leave something beautiful in this world after we are gone.

Lee