Following what would’ve been Chris Cornell’s 54th birthday, it was announced that a statue will be erected in his honour in his hometown, Seattle, Washington. Following his tragic death by suicide in May 2017, fans and musicians globally have called for a shrine be erected commemorating the life and impact of the Grammy award-winning vocalist.
Now, over a year since his passing, commissioned by his widow, Vicky Cornell, a life-size bronze statue of the singer has been sculpted in Seattle. Created by Nick Marras, who also created a sculpture for actor Anton Yeltsin’s tombstone, the statue is set to present Cornell in the way his fans remember him most - featuring his “signature boots, dog tag, layers and long locks”.
Famed mostly for the pioneering Grunge band, Soundgarden and his work alongside Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello in Audioslave, Cornell’s fans can expect to see the unveiling of the statue during a public ceremony on August 29 at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture.
Why Seattle was chosen
The late singer’s wife discussed wanting to commission the statue as a gift for Seattle; describing the city as “the tight-knit community that gave him his start”. Plans for the statue were made last August, with Vicky Cornell expressing in a statement how she had no doubt on the chosen location - “even though Chris’s Music touched the lives of millions around the world, there is no better place than Seattle to honour and celebrate both his contribution to music history”.
It is not unusual for Cornell’s widow to release a statue in his honour. The same was done by Linda Ramone as in 2005 she had a statue of her late husband, Johnny Ramone erected on his grave. With the Grunge pioneer being laid to rest in Los Angeles, the upcoming statue is seen to settle the multitude of outcries from Seattle-based fans who felt something was needed to commemorate the singer in his hometown.
Impact of the statue
Since the announcement of the unveiling, there has been an outreach of support from the vocalist’s fans. With performances from Trivium’s Matthew Heafy and online posts from Linda Ramone bringing the spotlight back onto the singer, there seemed no better time for the memorial announcement. After the news was broken yesterday, there has once again been an increase in exposure for the late singer’s 2012 charity, “Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation”; originating from his 2006 song “The Promise”.
Further, the date signified not only what would've been Cornell’s 54th birthday, but also marks one year since the passing of his close friend and Linkin Park frontman, Chester Bennington - bringing further awareness to men’s mental health.
The statue will be available to see at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington from Wednesday 29 August onwards. “The Promise” is available to purchase now, with proceeds going to help charities and children in need.
