Chris Cornell Memorial Statue Unveiled In Seattle
“The soul of Seattle is what Chris Cornell knew. He pulled from places within himself that were amazing and poured it into us.”
The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle unveiled a life-size statue of the late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell during a special ceremony on Sunday (7 October).
Commissioned by Cornell’s wife Vicki Cornell, the bronze statue depicts Cornell holding his signature Gibson Memphis electric guitar and his hand in the air and will remain on display at museum (formerly known as the Experience Music Project).
Artist, sculptor and veteran special effects make-up artist Nick Marra created the statue to memorialize the iconic signer who tragically took his own life last year.
Along with his wife, Cornell’s two daughters were also in attendance for the unveiling ceremony alongside Cornell’s former Soundgarden’s bandmates Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron.
The kids of #ChrisCornell unveil his statue that will now forever stand in his memory in #Seattle. #KOMONews #MoPOP pic.twitter.com/aV1ha2Dc4Y
— Kara Kostanich (@KaraKostanich) October 8, 2018
Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan was also present during the ceremony and shared a few remarks on Cornell’s legacy:
“The soul of Seattle is what Chris Cornell knew. He pulled from places within himself that were amazing and poured it into us,” Durkan said.
Also in attendance was Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam and his wife Pandora Andre-Beatty, Seattle fixture Danny Bland and Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Curtis.
Artistic Director at MoPOP Jasen Emmons spoke during the ceremony, saying “The clouds tonight somehow feel right for someone who brought us so much dark, beautiful music,” Emmons said.
“He was the voice of a generation” Vicky Cornell said, “and an artist that continues to draw us closer together, forever”.
From his early work with Soundgarden and Temple Of The Dog to his band Audioslave and prolific solo work, Chris Cornell was a figurehead of the Seattle rock scene and his premature death at age 52 in May of 2017 continues to reverberate in the music world.
The statue now serves at a permanent memorial to the Seattle native and rock icon.
Explore our Chris Cornell Artist Page.
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