It’s heart-shattering to think that, had he still been with us, yesterday would have been Soundgarden legend Chris Cornell‘s 56th birthday.
To mark the milestone, Cornell’s widow Vicky has shared a never-before-heard recording of the grunge icon covering Guns N’ Roses‘ beloved ballad, ‘Patience’.
“Listening to [the cover] again after so many years it was hauntingly beautiful; it brought it all back in a rush of bittersweet memories,” Vicky said in a statement. “His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music, stories, and art.”
Chris’s arrangement of the Use Your Illusion classic has a slightly different feel to the OG, slightly more up-tempo with a driving beat. Still, if hearing those familiar soul-drenched pipes crooning this iconic melody doesn’t moisten your eyeballs, we don’t know what will.
To coincide with the song’s release, Chris Cornell’s kids Toni and Christopher are launching initiatives to help raise awareness about drug addiction.
Their STOP THE STIGMA program will teach high school students about the science behind substance use disorders and their prevention, with an accompanying podcast arriving in August.
Chris Cornell died in in May of 2017 at the age of 52, under tragic circumstances.
Hear his cover of Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Patience’ below.
