RIP Chris Cornell

Blredyellow

Brolin's eulogy captured everything. Thanks. 

RS65573

Probably the best eulogy I have ever heard or read. That bird story will stick with me for the rest of my life...just beautiful the way he weaves it in there. 

I have always thought the way people treat animals says everything about them...If possible I love him even more.

Poncier

That eulogy is incredibly touching.

AO253126

Yeah, absolutely beautiful and moving. Hopefully we get to read or hear the rest of them. It really gives great insight to the musician we all felt like we knew personally.

HughFreakingDillon

RS65573 said:

Probably the best eulogy I have ever heard or read. That bird story will stick with me for the rest of my life...just beautiful the way he weaves it in there. 

I have always thought the way people treat animals says everything about them...If possible I love him even more.

absolutely agreed. I don't think I'll ever forget that bird story either. it sounds like some sort of fable. 

OnWis97

cp3iverson said:

Its not sinking in at all

way worse than Kurt or Layne. Those weren't as shocking. I said a few weeks ago on here that Chris was the wise older brother of the scene.   

Same here.  Not that the deaths of Kurt or Layne (or Wieland) were not sad.  But this is the one that should not have happened.  Scott Weiland outlived our expectations.  I mean, yeah, I'd have loved if he woulda cleaned up and gotten it together, but we kinda saw it coming.  Layne was down a rough road for a long time and Kurt as well.  Plus those deaths are almost part of the romance of rock & roll, if you will; we kind of expect that that's going to happen to some people (kinda like we accept a certain number of deaths on the highway in exchange for the freedom of driving).  But Chris had become a (seemingly) stable elder.

He was different from those guys.  By all appearances (which certainly can deceive), he'd gotten through the tough times and the struggles that those other guys never did. Even though Weiland made it almost as long, you never had a sense that he was doing great.  Chris seemed to be.  He seemed to have moved onto full-fledged adulthood.  Word was he was doing well with sobriety.  Again, you don't want to say the other deaths "should have" happened, but at this same time, this is the one that should not have.  

Of course, I'm also influenced by the fact that I am a bigger fan of Cornell's than all the other three combined.  That's a big part of why this has been so much harder on me (easily the worst celebrity death I've ever learned about).  But part of it is that he made it through, at least that's what I thought, in ways the others had not.

HughFreakingDillon

OnWis97 said:

cp3iverson said:

Its not sinking in at all

way worse than Kurt or Layne. Those weren't as shocking. I said a few weeks ago on here that Chris was the wise older brother of the scene.   

Same here.  Not that Kurt or Layne (or Wieland) were not sad.  But this is the one that should not have happened.  Scott Weiland outlived our expectations.  I mean, yeah, I'd have loved if he woulda cleaned up and gotten it together, but we kinda saw it coming.  Layne was down a rough road for a long time and Kurt as well.  Plus those deaths are almost part of the romance of rock & roll, if you will; we kind of expect that that's going to happen to some people (kinda like we accept a certain number of deaths on the highway in exchange for the freedom of driving).

But Chris was different.  By all appearances (which certainly can deceive), he'd gotten through the tough times and the struggles that those other guys never did. Even though Weiland made it almost as long, you never had a sense that he was doing great.  Chris seemed to be.  He seemed to have moved onto full-fledged adulthood.  Word was he was doing well with sobriety.  Again, you don't want to say the other deaths "should have" happened, but at this same time, this is the one that should not have.  

Of course, I'm also influenced by the fact that I am a bigger fan of Cornell's than all the other three combined.  That's a big part of why this has been so much harder on me (easily the worst celebrity death I've ever learned about).  But part of it is that he made it through, at least that's what I thought, in ways the others had not.

I will never forget his smile and wave to me before the show on the Songbook tour. It was so genuine. Usually when you try to get the attention of a musician/performer they don't acknowledge you. he did. and again, his smile was so genuine. i was second row that show. it was incredible. 

cp3iverson

He had a quote once "i can always quickly tell the difference between a groupie or an autograph hound vs someone who you know has listened to your record 100 times".

never met him but always wanted to.  Never heard of a bad experience. 

HughFreakingDillon

cp3iverson said:

He had a quote once "i can always quickly tell the difference between a groupie or an autograph hound vs someone who you know has listened to your record 100 times".

never met him but always wanted to.  Never heard of a bad experience. 

had the chance in 1995 on the Superunknown tour. My boss had a side business catering, and he happened to be catering the Soundgarden show, and he got me and my buddy backstage passes for the show. I was too intimidated to go up to Chris. He was lurching around and he looked angry. Didn't see Kim that much, if at all. After the show we went backstage again and Matt was watching Ben in the parking lot run around like the drunk buffoon he was "dodging" all the tour buses as all the tour guys were yelling at him to get out of the way. the 3 of us kept laughing at his antics. we talked to Matt for what seemed like an eternity. just like talking to a buddy. super approachable and awesome. wish I had a camera at the time. 

wish I had gone up to Chris, although it may not have turned out that well given is apparent mood. 

OnWis97

HughFreakingDillon said:

OnWis97 said:

cp3iverson said:

Its not sinking in at all

way worse than Kurt or Layne. Those weren't as shocking. I said a few weeks ago on here that Chris was the wise older brother of the scene.   

Same here.  Not that Kurt or Layne (or Wieland) were not sad.  But this is the one that should not have happened.  Scott Weiland outlived our expectations.  I mean, yeah, I'd have loved if he woulda cleaned up and gotten it together, but we kinda saw it coming.  Layne was down a rough road for a long time and Kurt as well.  Plus those deaths are almost part of the romance of rock & roll, if you will; we kind of expect that that's going to happen to some people (kinda like we accept a certain number of deaths on the highway in exchange for the freedom of driving).

But Chris was different.  By all appearances (which certainly can deceive), he'd gotten through the tough times and the struggles that those other guys never did. Even though Weiland made it almost as long, you never had a sense that he was doing great.  Chris seemed to be.  He seemed to have moved onto full-fledged adulthood.  Word was he was doing well with sobriety.  Again, you don't want to say the other deaths "should have" happened, but at this same time, this is the one that should not have.  

Of course, I'm also influenced by the fact that I am a bigger fan of Cornell's than all the other three combined.  That's a big part of why this has been so much harder on me (easily the worst celebrity death I've ever learned about).  But part of it is that he made it through, at least that's what I thought, in ways the others had not.

I will never forget his smile and wave to me before the show on the Songbook tour. It was so genuine. Usually when you try to get the attention of a musician/performer they don't acknowledge you. he did. and again, his smile was so genuine. i was second row that show. it was incredible. 

I went to four solo shows.  One (for Scream) at a general admission standing-only place.  He had a full band it was a really good show.  But there was something so nice and intimate about the solo shows.  These shows were in Minnesota and he'd tell stories about things like how he came up with "feeling Minnesota" or his first time visiting in the winter with Soundgarden in like 1991 and how unprepared he was for the cold (wearing shorts, I believe).  And stuff like the Josephine story that Brolin refers to.  You could see him connecting with his audience and being shy about it all at the same time.  And then he'd hit his own songs, Soundgarden, Audioslave...and yet my best memory of the Soundbox show was the amazing version of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" and the way used his guitar to create the crescendo.  

Kudos to you on your second row seats.  I don't have any idea why, but for the three reserved-seat shows I went to, I had a knack for finding out late and ending up in mediocre seats.  But he connected to the audience so well that it made feel that much closer.  He never looked directly at me (I wasn't close enough) but it seemed like everything he said broke up into 5,000 little pieces and I was hit directly by one of them.

I'll still enjoy plenty of good concerts, but I don't know that I'll ever feel that connected again.

HughFreakingDillon

OnWis97 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

OnWis97 said:

cp3iverson said:

Its not sinking in at all

way worse than Kurt or Layne. Those weren't as shocking. I said a few weeks ago on here that Chris was the wise older brother of the scene.   

Same here.  Not that Kurt or Layne (or Wieland) were not sad.  But this is the one that should not have happened.  Scott Weiland outlived our expectations.  I mean, yeah, I'd have loved if he woulda cleaned up and gotten it together, but we kinda saw it coming.  Layne was down a rough road for a long time and Kurt as well.  Plus those deaths are almost part of the romance of rock & roll, if you will; we kind of expect that that's going to happen to some people (kinda like we accept a certain number of deaths on the highway in exchange for the freedom of driving).

But Chris was different.  By all appearances (which certainly can deceive), he'd gotten through the tough times and the struggles that those other guys never did. Even though Weiland made it almost as long, you never had a sense that he was doing great.  Chris seemed to be.  He seemed to have moved onto full-fledged adulthood.  Word was he was doing well with sobriety.  Again, you don't want to say the other deaths "should have" happened, but at this same time, this is the one that should not have.  

Of course, I'm also influenced by the fact that I am a bigger fan of Cornell's than all the other three combined.  That's a big part of why this has been so much harder on me (easily the worst celebrity death I've ever learned about).  But part of it is that he made it through, at least that's what I thought, in ways the others had not.

I will never forget his smile and wave to me before the show on the Songbook tour. It was so genuine. Usually when you try to get the attention of a musician/performer they don't acknowledge you. he did. and again, his smile was so genuine. i was second row that show. it was incredible. 

I went to four solo shows.  One (for Scream) at a general admission standing-only place.  He had a full band it was a really good show.  But there was something so nice and intimate about the solo shows.  These shows were in Minnesota and he'd tell stories about things like how he came up with "feeling Minnesota" or his first time visiting in the winter with Soundgarden in like 1991 and how unprepared he was for the cold (wearing shorts, I believe).  And stuff like the Josephine story that Brolin refers to.  You could see him connecting with his audience and being shy about it all at the same time.  And then he'd hit his own songs, Soundgarden, Audioslave...and yet my best memory of the Soundbox show was the amazing version of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" and the way used his guitar to create the crescendo.  

Kudos to you on your second row seats.  I don't have any idea why, but for the three reserved-seat shows I went to, I had a knack for finding out late and ending up in mediocre seats.  But he connected to the audience so well that it made feel that much closer.  He never looked directly at me (I wasn't close enough) but it seemed like everything he said broke up into 5,000 little pieces and I was hit directly by one of them.

I'll still enjoy plenty of good concerts, but I don't know that I'll ever feel that connected again.

it was such a random connection. i was finishing my drink in the foyer, as they don't allow beverages in the theatre. I heard applause, as the lights had gone down for chris to start the show. i was walking to my seat, and he was standing directly in front of me as I walked down the aisle. I thought he was looking at me, so I smiled and waved. well, he smiled and waved right back. I feel like such a fanboy for remembering and holding onto such an experience, but to me it was something. 

Merkin Baller

Personally (selfishly), this has been a hard thing for me : The TOTD twitter feed hasn't posted anything since before he died (for obvious reasons). They changed the profile & banner pictures to honor Chris, but there haven't been any tweets since.

For me that's been one of the hardest things to accept. I was hanging on every post from them hoping for fall dates. The way they brought that band back from the dead last year was so special and powerful. It was amazing to see McCready & Gossard play together outside the confines of Pearl Jam. It was so beautiful to see Reach Down & Say Hello to Heaven in addition to all the other powerful songs they wrote not to mention the incredible selection of cover songs. That was easily one of the greatest shows I've ever been to, and while I'm so incredibly happy I made the road trip to Philly, I'm still overcome w/ what we lost there; after that reunion, it really felt like there were so many possibilities with where they could go, and it's all out the window, just like that. (I know this is selfish, this is nothing compared to what his family, friends or bandmates lost, but it's still something we all lost, and worth mourning imo)

Side Note: The bird story in the eulogy makes me feel like less of a jackass for pulling over this morning & getting out of my car to stop traffic to help a turtle cross the street. I'm not tooting my own horn here, it's the first time I've done anything like that, and I felt like a complete ass when other cars were beeping at me, it just seemed like the right thing to do; and Brolin's eulogy for whatever reason made me feel a little better.

HughFreakingDillon

Merkin Baller said:

Personally (selfishly), this has been a hard thing for me : The TOTD twitter feed hasn't posted anything since before he died (for obvious reasons). They changed the profile & banner pictures to honor Chris, but there haven't been any tweets since.

For me that's been one of the hardest things to accept. I was hanging on every post from them hoping for fall dates. The way they brought that band back from the dead last year was so special and powerful. It was amazing to see McCready & Gossard play together outside the confines of Pearl Jam. It was so beautiful to see Reach Down & Say Hello to Heaven in addition to all the other powerful songs they wrote not to mention the incredible selection of cover songs. That was easily one of the greatest shows I've ever been to, and while I'm so incredibly happy I made the road trip to Philly, I'm still overcome w/ what we lost there; after that reunion, it really felt like there were so many possibilities with where they could go, and it's all out the window, just like that. (I know this is selfish, this is nothing compared to what his family, friends or bandmates lost, but it's still something we all lost, and worth mourning imo)

Side Note: The bird story in the eulogy makes me feel like less of a jackass for pulling over this morning & getting out of my car to stop traffic to help a turtle cross the street. I'm not tooting my own horn here, it's the first time I've done anything like that, and I felt like a complete ass when other cars were beeping at me, it just seemed like the right thing to do; and Brolin's eulogy for whatever reason made me feel a little better.

the bird story also connected with me. I am a big guy, but I'm also incredibly sensitive (which I often hate). I used to get very embarrassed about it, but I learned to embrace it. I get teased by a lot of my "macho" guy friends (when they find out, for instance, that I cry at PJ shows, or when I'm watching a sad movie, or how much I love babies and animals, etc), but I've learned that this is who I am, and embrace it. 

Merkin Baller

HughFreakingDillon said:

Merkin Baller said:

Personally (selfishly), this has been a hard thing for me : The TOTD twitter feed hasn't posted anything since before he died (for obvious reasons). They changed the profile & banner pictures to honor Chris, but there haven't been any tweets since.

For me that's been one of the hardest things to accept. I was hanging on every post from them hoping for fall dates. The way they brought that band back from the dead last year was so special and powerful. It was amazing to see McCready & Gossard play together outside the confines of Pearl Jam. It was so beautiful to see Reach Down & Say Hello to Heaven in addition to all the other powerful songs they wrote not to mention the incredible selection of cover songs. That was easily one of the greatest shows I've ever been to, and while I'm so incredibly happy I made the road trip to Philly, I'm still overcome w/ what we lost there; after that reunion, it really felt like there were so many possibilities with where they could go, and it's all out the window, just like that. (I know this is selfish, this is nothing compared to what his family, friends or bandmates lost, but it's still something we all lost, and worth mourning imo)

Side Note: The bird story in the eulogy makes me feel like less of a jackass for pulling over this morning & getting out of my car to stop traffic to help a turtle cross the street. I'm not tooting my own horn here, it's the first time I've done anything like that, and I felt like a complete ass when other cars were beeping at me, it just seemed like the right thing to do; and Brolin's eulogy for whatever reason made me feel a little better.

the bird story also connected with me. I am a big guy, but I'm also incredibly sensitive (which I often hate). I used to get very embarrassed about it, but I learned to embrace it. I get teased by a lot of my "macho" guy friends (when they find out, for instance, that I cry at PJ shows, or when I'm watching a sad movie, or how much I love babies and animals, etc), but I've learned that this is who I am, and embrace it. 

I wept openly during Long Road at Fenway I last year (I had just said goodbye to family in Ireland the week prior, and was really missing them at the time)

I was slightly embarrassed, but only slightly. The beauty of the song & the moment were too precious & perfect for me to be very self conscious- I'm glad I embraced the moment, it felt good. 

HughFreakingDillon

a buddy of mine who is a total alpha found out I cried at Fargo 2003. he laughed and laughed and laughed. at first I was annoyed. then I came to the realization that I should be grateful to be able to feel that way. 

inhiding 1976

I can only express my deepest condolences to the Pearl Jam Family and the families of those affected. 

kaseylily

Merkin Baller said:

Personally (selfishly), this has been a hard thing for me : The TOTD twitter feed hasn't posted anything since before he died (for obvious reasons). They changed the profile & banner pictures to honor Chris, but there haven't been any tweets since.

For me that's been one of the hardest things to accept. I was hanging on every post from them hoping for fall dates. The way they brought that band back from the dead last year was so special and powerful. It was amazing to see McCready & Gossard play together outside the confines of Pearl Jam. It was so beautiful to see Reach Down & Say Hello to Heaven in addition to all the other powerful songs they wrote not to mention the incredible selection of cover songs. That was easily one of the greatest shows I've ever been to, and while I'm so incredibly happy I made the road trip to Philly, I'm still overcome w/ what we lost there; after that reunion, it really felt like there were so many possibilities with where they could go, and it's all out the window, just like that. (I know this is selfish, this is nothing compared to what his family, friends or bandmates lost, but it's still something we all lost, and worth mourning imo)

Side Note: The bird story in the eulogy makes me feel like less of a jackass for pulling over this morning & getting out of my car to stop traffic to help a turtle cross the street. I'm not tooting my own horn here, it's the first time I've done anything like that, and I felt like a complete ass when other cars were beeping at me, it just seemed like the right thing to do; and Brolin's eulogy for whatever reason made me feel a little better.

I love that you helped the turtle. It is the right thing to do. Who cares if people beep at you. Turtles need love too. 

RS65573

kaseylily said:

Merkin Baller said:

Personally (selfishly), this has been a hard thing for me : The TOTD twitter feed hasn't posted anything since before he died (for obvious reasons). They changed the profile & banner pictures to honor Chris, but there haven't been any tweets since.

For me that's been one of the hardest things to accept. I was hanging on every post from them hoping for fall dates. The way they brought that band back from the dead last year was so special and powerful. It was amazing to see McCready & Gossard play together outside the confines of Pearl Jam. It was so beautiful to see Reach Down & Say Hello to Heaven in addition to all the other powerful songs they wrote not to mention the incredible selection of cover songs. That was easily one of the greatest shows I've ever been to, and while I'm so incredibly happy I made the road trip to Philly, I'm still overcome w/ what we lost there; after that reunion, it really felt like there were so many possibilities with where they could go, and it's all out the window, just like that. (I know this is selfish, this is nothing compared to what his family, friends or bandmates lost, but it's still something we all lost, and worth mourning imo)

Side Note: The bird story in the eulogy makes me feel like less of a jackass for pulling over this morning & getting out of my car to stop traffic to help a turtle cross the street. I'm not tooting my own horn here, it's the first time I've done anything like that, and I felt like a complete ass when other cars were beeping at me, it just seemed like the right thing to do; and Brolin's eulogy for whatever reason made me feel a little better.

I love that you helped the turtle. It is the right thing to do. Who cares if people beep at you. Turtles need love too. 

How we treat the helpless, shows our true nature. POY (proud of you)

Fifthelement

HughFreakingDillon said:

a buddy of mine who is a total alpha found out I cried at Fargo 2003. he laughed and laughed and laughed. at first I was annoyed. then I came to the realization that I should be grateful to be able to feel that way. 

I'm glad you are aware and embraced that aspect of yourself.  It takes courage to be true to who you are.

and yay to Merkin Baller, a hero to turtles (and some humans) everywhere!  

Longueuil

I don't know how Josh Brolin was able to say that speech. I was in tears in the middle just by reading.

Well written and touching.