In commemoration of what would've been Chris Cornell's 56th birthday on July 20th, his estate released previously unissued 2016 version of him performing Guns N' Roses' classic ballad, “Patience,” along with a new video. The track, which was laid down at L.A.'s Henson Studios, was tracked after Cornell had heard of G N' R's decision to reunite. Ultimate Classic Rock posted: “Cornell's version is built on fingerpicked acoustic guitar, a sparkle of synth and programmed drums. According to the YouTube credits, it was mixed and produced by Brendan O'Brien, who also worked on Soundgarden's 1994 LP, Superunknown.
Chris Cornell's widow, Vicky Cornell posted in a statement on Cornell's official Facebook page:
One of Chris’s engineers recently reminded me of Chris’s recordings from sessions in 2016, which he still had. “Patience” was one of them. That recording was inspired by our daughter Toni, who was a huge GNR fan and asked her dad to teach her to play it on the guitar. His cover is so hauntingly beautiful; it brought it all back in a rush of bittersweet memories.
His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music , stories and art. A man is not dead while his name is still spoken. . . and, through his art, an artist’s soul still burns as bright upon all those that look up to him and his memory. Releasing music that was special to Chris keeps a part of him here with us — his heart and his soul. His love and his legacy.
I want to thank everyone who continues to celebrate and keep Chris alive. A special thank you to Axl (Rose), Slash, and Duff (McKagan) for continuing to honor Chris in their live shows. And to all of Chris’s fans, thank you for holding him in your hearts and always sharing your love for Chris with us. I want to thank our children too; for you are a reflection of your father, both his strength and his kindness (and helping to put together this video he’d be so proud)!
A while back, before hitting the road acoustically in 2011, Chris Cornell told us that cover songs would probably find their way into the set on his fall tour: “I suppose that'll be sort of an ongoing process as I'm out on the road, y'know, sitting around, learning other people's songs just for fun, thinking, 'What can I do in. . .' For example, I'm going into Minneapolis, well, who's from Minneapolis that I could cover tonight? That kind of thing.”
IN OTHER CHRIS CORNELL NEWS
Earlier this week, Chris Cornell’s children Toni and Christopher teamed up with the Addiction Policy Forum and the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to launch the new educational program, Stop The Stigma and a corresponding podcast. In a statement, Cornell’s children hope the “initiative empowers young people to tackle the stigma around addiction and teaches teens the science of substance use disorders, prevention and that addiction is a disease and a mental health issue and not a moral flaw.” (Rolling Stone)
Lily Cornell said in a statement:
As someone who has suffered trauma and loss as well as struggled with anxiety and depression, I know how important it is to have a space to talk openly and without shame about these subjects.
There is so much value, especially for people in my generation, in knowing that everyone struggles with mental health at some point in their lives, despite our society’s dismissive tendencies around emotional wellbeing. It is important for me to give voice to these issues by providing information, honest conversations and resources through Mind Wide Open.
AUDIO: SOUNDGARDEN’S CHRIS CORNELL ON PLAYING COVERS ON HIS ACOUSTIC TOUR
