Pearl Jam vocalist confessed to denial after the death of the Soundgarden singer – and stressed as a bond went far beyond music
Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) and Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave) have maintained a friendship for decades. In 1990, vocalists worked together on the only album of the project Temple of the Doglaunched the following year. It was also in 1991 that the bands of both singers began to become famous, with the albums Ten and BadmotorFingerrespectively.
Unfortunately, in 2017, Cornell left us. Vedder avoids talking publicly about the topic – at most, makes occasional outbursts at solo shows, without going into personal details about the relationship.
A rare occasion of breaking the protocol took place in 2020, when Eddie commented on the situation in an interview with the program of radio broadcaster Howard Stern (via Blabberouth). At the time, the singer admitted to having entered a “kind of denial” after the loss.
“I feel I didn’t even have a choice. I was terrified of where I would go if I allowed me to feel what I needed to feel, or what I was instinctively wanting to feel, or how dark that feeling was. ”
Eddie also confessed to having a kind of regret, because she did not keep so much contact with Chris. This was due to mere circumstances of life, as each artist had his appointments, usually on the road.
“I haven’t seen him frequently in the last 10 years – probably four or five times, and usually in a show. I haven’t dealt with it yet. I’m getting stronger as time goes on. ”
Still during the interview, the Pearl Jam singer reflected on the connection with the Soundgarden colleague, going beyond musical affinity. According to Vedder, the proximity was such to the point of overcoming what he had with his bandmates.
“We were close. It was not just for playing music. We were neighbors. He went out with him out of the band much more than the other guys in the band. I didn’t know so many people in Seattle, so we went out of crazy walking adventures, or mountain bike, or chased a dog in the rain while we drank bad beer. And it was cool. It had nothing to do with being close to other people in music or anything typical of Los Angeles. ”
Eddie Vedder and the loss of Chris Cornell
A month after Chris Cornell’s death in June 2017, Eddie Vedder made an emotional outburst during a show held at Hammersmith Apollo in London. Presenting solo at the time, Pearl Jam singer recalled that he had also lost one of his brothers a few years earlier and left a message to those who were affected by the loss of Cornell.
“These things take time and my friend is gone forever. I just have to send this message to everyone who was affected. […] You know he was not just a friend, it was someone I had as an older brother. A couple of days after what happened, I was sleeping in a small cabin near the water, a place he would love. And all these memories came to mind around 1:30 am. Trying to sleep was as if the neighbors played a song that you couldn’t stop listening. But then everything is fine, because you have little memories that come and go. ”
Finally, the singer stated that the sense of comfort comes from the “hours and hours of brief memories” next to his friend. And pointed out: “I don’t want to be sad, I prefer to be grateful to be sad. I’m still thinking about these little memories that will be forever in my heart and I … I will love you forever ”.
During another show, in 2019, in Germany, Eddie Vedder even cried while playing “Seasons”Composition by Chris Cornell for the movie Singles: Single Life (1992). Already last November, with Pearl Jam, played a song from Temple of the Dog – “Hunger Strike” – For the first time since the loss of the friend.
*In Brazil, the Life Enhancement Center (CVV) freely conducts emotional support and suicide prevention, serving all people who want and need to talk. Contact available by phone 188 or online (email, chat, skype) with data available on the site www.cvv.org.br.
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Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
