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Thursday, May 18 2017, 6AM
Seattle is waking up to the news of a lost icon this morning. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave) has passed away at the age of 52.
The solo song Chris Cornell contributed to the soundtrack for Singles, Cameron Crowe's homeage to Seattle. Cornell has died (of as yet unknown causes) today at only 52 years old.
The fourth album from the Seattle legends, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts upon its release. It has since gone five times platinum.
The solo debut album from the Soundgarden frontman, who we learned passed away today at the age of 52.
Cover of the Soundgarden tune that the Man in Black, Johnny Cash, covered for his 1996 album 'Unchained' -
www.youtube.com
You can find this version of Chris Cornell's, "Flutter Girl" on the 25th anniversary reissue for the 'Singles' soundtrack, due out tomorrow, May 19th. www.rollingstone.com
The Seattle band fronted by Andy Wood (Chris Cornell's friend and former roommate), who died on March 16, 1990 of a drug overdose. Cornell would go on to form Temple of the Dog with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Matt Cameron in tribute to Wood.
Live cover of the Rolling Stones song that Chris Cornell performed with Ann and Nancy Wilson's side project, Lovemongers
The unmistakeable voice of Seattle legend, Chris Cornell, covering Prince's song, "Nothing Compares 2 U" in 2015. Cornell passed away today at the age of 52, and Prince last April at the age of 57.
"You could tell that these guys had known each other for a while. They were very collaborative, very supportive of each other. But you could tell that everyone, particularly Chris, they were just excited about this record. This was an important record for them, and for Chris in particular, you could tell that he was committed to this, committed to this being successful — because of his best friend, his roommate. You could tell that this was more than a side project to him." - "Hunger Strike" music video director Paul Rachman
From our listener Marcus in Austin today: "I listen to a broad array of music, but Soundgarden is certainly and easily my favorite band, and Mr. Cornell my favorite voice in Rock. I remember going to junior college in small town Texas, pre-internet of course. This guy who was that guy that always knew the cool and upcoming music gave me a cassette copy of "Louder than Love" and my mind was blown. He said "they call this stuff grunge." I wore that tape out. Been a giant fan ever since. Choked up trying to tell the wife about the news just now."
7:21 AM
1st spin?!
"'Fell On Black Days' was like this ongoing fear I've had for years. It took me a long time to write that song. We've tried to do three different versions with that title, and none of them have ever worked. It's a feeling that everyone gets. You're happy with your life, everything's going well, things are exciting - when all of a sudden you realize you're unhappy in the extreme, to the point of being really, really scared. There's no particular event you can pin the feeling down to, it's just that you realize one day that everything in your life is f--ked!" - Chris Cornell in an interview with Melody Maker in 1994 about the song "Fell On Black Days"
The band fronted by Chris Cornell and Rage Against The Machine's Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, and Tom Morello. Cornell has passed away today at the age of 52, and KEXP will be paying tribute all day.
The band M.A.C.C. (or McCready, Ament, Cameron, Cornell) is made up of Mike McCready (guitarist from Pearl Jam), Jeff Ament (bassist from Pearl Jam), Matt Cameron (drummer for Soundgarden and later for Pearl Jam), and Chris Cornell (singer of Soundgarden and later Audioslave). Their cover of "Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun)" is their only known recording. All four members of this group had previously worked together on the Temple of the Dog project, and the song "Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun)" was added to Temple of the Dog's live set in 2016.
From KEXP listener, Kurt, this morning: "Will never forget seeing Chris and Soundgarden at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago 20+ years ago. One of the greatest music memories I have is them playing and feeling the floor of the building bouncing as the crowd went insane. Seeing him live and listening to his music for years and years reinforced my belief that he had one of the greatest voices in rock. I will pass my love of his music down to my kids. He may be gone but what he created will live forever. RIP Chris."
We're paying tribute to Chris Cornell today, who we learned passed away early this morning at the age of 52: www.nytimes.com
The song that MTV banned due to its depiction of religious symbols and crucifixes, though it's more about the "larger than life" persona of rock frontmen. Watch the 1991 video here: www.youtube.com
Because we're all wanting to watch this right now: www.youtube.com
For Linda: "My husband Marty played Loud Love when he proposed to me 24 years ago. Thank you for playing ALL Chris Cornell music today. It means a lot to his hometown Seattle fans. We lost an incredible rock legend today. May his music live in the fabric of our lives forever" (Share your Chris Cornell stories or memories with us today at dj@kexp.org, or text us at 206-903-5397)
"Hearing the news today just has the wind out of my sails. You have often told me about when you had nothing you still had music. As a teenager Reach Down was one of those songs that really just made me inspired to believe that there was something better on the other side of life and to find a way to pick myself up by my bootstraps." - thank you for sharing this with us, David!
Acoustic version of the hit 1994 Soundgarden track that is rumored to be inspired by the Black Sun sculpture in Seattle's Volunteer Park: artbeat.seattle.gov
After Mother Love Bone's Andy Wood passed away (shortly before the release of their first full-length album), Chris Cornell went on to form Temple of the Dog as a tribute to his lost friend.
A previously unreleased track from Chris Cornell that can be found on the 25th anniversary reissue of the Singles soundtrack (out tomorrow, May 19th)
From a listener this morning: "Rolling into town to do my thing for the millionth time, I got the news. Now I'm sitting in my car outside KEXP studios, getting perspective. When I arrived in Seattle, an aspiring musician myself, I remember scanning the radio and hearing this incredibly heavy band with a banshee on vocals. "That was the new one from local band Soundgarden" said the DJ. Some college station, I think, KCMU...I was floored. My god what a voice! Intense, raging at times, but then brooding, sad and subtle too. This was beyond a singer wearing his heart in his sleeve; This was a man turned inside out, bleeding out right before my eyes (and ears). I got the album immediately. It shaped much of what I wrote; not the music, so much as the emotion."
Watch Soundgarden accept their Grammy award for Best Metal Performance for "Spoonman" in 1995 here: www.youtube.com
A story from one of our listeners this morning, thank you for sharing! - "My dad worked at Pike Place starting in 1983. We grew up with all the late 80s early 90s grunge bands blasting in our homes and cars. My dad wore out his Soundgarden cassette tape. Spoonman spoons in the music room. I'll never forget my dad telling me the story of when the boys from Soundgarden we're hanging out at the market and told him they had an idea for a band name… When he heard this idea he didn't hold back from telling him he thought it was a dumb name. "Like a garden of sound?" Haha . Every time he told that story to someone it made him chuckle. Oh how wrong he was.. When we lose someone in the Music community that has had such an influence on our lives, it's not just the loss of the person.. it's the reminder of the loss of our childhoods and a reminder of core parts of ourselves that we so often forget are there."
The opening track off the debut full-length release from Soundgarden, which recently received a remixed reissue from Sub Pop. We received the sad news this morning that Chris Cornell has passed away at the age of 52, and will be paying tribute all day today.
LOVE this from listener Rob today: "In the late 90s I went to a Sean Smith show at the sit and spin. During my consumption of music and beer, I decided it was time to use the bathroom. In the bathroom I pulled up to a urinal and over heard some guys discussing how Chris Cornell was rumored to be attending the show. They discussed how his solo effort was weak. Suddenly some guy came up next to me in the other urinal wearing a cowboy hat with short hair and said, "if they only knew." I turned and looked and there was Chris Cornell, laughing about the gossiping men's conversations. We both started laughing and later that night he reintroduced himself to me and bought me a bottle of beer. Chris Cornell was a great person, I will always remember him for that night."
'King Animal' is the last album released from Soundgarden, though they were in the midst of a follow-up this year. The band was over halfway through a Spring tour before the passing of Chris Cornell, who performed just last night at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
From KEXP listener Carl today: "So sad to hear the news about Chris this morning. I remember seeing Soundgarden at the second Lollapalooza in 1992 at Montage Mountain in PA. The band was just hitting their stride with badmotorfinger. There were one of the best acts of the day. I remember the show fondly because it was one of the last times I was together with my best friends from high school, the fatal 5. It was an amazing time."
Our recap of the Temple of the Dog tour last Fall that ended right here in Seattle: blog.kexp.org
Another previously unreleased track from Chris Cornell, which can be found on the new reissue of the Singles soundtrack (out tomorrow, May 19th): www.rollingstone.com
Paying tribute today to the loss of Seattle rock icon, Chris Cornell, who we learned this morning passed away at the age of 52: www.washingtonpost.com
Watch the clip of Chris Cornell checking out Cliff Poncier's bitchin' new car stereo system (and then singing live performance of "Birth Ritual") from Singles here: www.youtube.com
Live performance of Chris Cornell performing with Mad Season and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in 2015 www.rollingstone.com
(Hey KEXP fam, don't forget you're not alone today, okay?) www.youtube.com
"Right after Andy died, we [Soundgarden] went to Europe, and it was horrible, because I couldn't talk about it, and there was no one who had loved him around. I wrote two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven". That was pretty much how I dealt with it." - Chris Cornell
Join us at 5PM today in the Gathering Space for a tribute to Seattle rock icon, Chris Cornell, who can be seen here performing just hours before his passing: www.rollingstone.com
Chris Cornell's final performance was a cover of this track from Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti LP.