A tribute concert for the late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell titled "I Am the Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell" will be happening in Los Angeles, California, at The Forum on January 16th, 2019. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the concert will feature appearances by Cornell's former bandmates, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Sheppard, and drummer Matt Cameron, as well as special performances by Foo Fighters, Metallica, and Ryan Adams. Each ticket purchased by fans will come with a copy of the new Chris Cornell self-titled album which is a greatest hits of his music with Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog, and Audioslave, as well as work as a solo artist. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation, whose mission statement says: "The foundation supports organizations that provide shelter and resources for homeless and abused and at risk youth, children living in refugee camps and victims of human trafficking."
In a recent interview with Forbes, the former lead guitarist of Soundgarden Kim Thayil said, "I suppose it will be somewhat anxious. Soundgarden didn't initially corral this lineup for a project. It was driven by booking agents and Chris's wife Vicky, who really wanted to organize this, and our management. I'm sure it will be just fine and we'll be able to deal with it just fine. They were looking for people the band had a history with, Chris had a history with and people who were supportive of us over our careers and fans of ours who could do some of this material justice."
Asked by Forbes if there are particular songs that he would be excited to play that night, Thayil said:
"I think Matt (Cameron), Ben (Shepherd) and I will collectively decide which songs we'll throw our best fist forward." Kim added that he is excited to be performing some of the Soundgarden catalog again.
In a previous Interview with Rolling Stone a month ago Thayil had made it clear why songs that hinted at suicide were left off the 4 disc Chris Cornell Box Set as they set dark undertones considering that is the way Chris Cornell passed away in on May 17, 2017, by hanging himself in his Detroit hotel room. Those songs included 1994 Superunknown cuts like "The Day I Tried To Live" and "Like Suicide," as well as 1997's Down On The Upside standout first single "Pretty Noose."
For Thayil, a huge consideration when picking out the songs for the Chris Cornell box was how they might be viewed now, given the nature of Cornell's death. "One of my concerns was just making sure there weren't any difficult lyric or themes. Just keep that off, "Thayil says. There's lyrics, or titles that may not be appropriate to this context. That might be difficult for friends, and family, Thayil said to Rolling Stone. Considering their selectiveness for the Box Set, this will surely mean Thayil, Shepherd and Cameron will be making careful considerations when selecting the songs for the I Am The Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell concert.
The Seattle Grunge musical legend Cornell was pronounced dead May 18, 2017, after being found unresponsive and unconscious in his Detroit hotel room around 12:15 am. Soundgarden had played a sold out show earlier that evening at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. The 52-year-old Cornell had sedatives and an anxiety drug Ativan in his system, but he died as a result of hanging himself. His wife Vicky Cornell has sued the drug company Ativan that prescribed Cornell his anxiety medication saying it affected his decision-making at the time of his suicide. "When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words; he was different. When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they come check on him before the night was over." The bodyguard that did check up on Chris Cornell found him laying on the floor at 12:15 with an exercise band around his neck and blood in his mouth. Medics were unable to revive Cornell and at approximately 1:30 AM he was pronounced dead.
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