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Statue Of Late Soundgarden Singer Chris Cornell Unveiled In Hometown

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) — Family, fans and former bandmates of late Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell gathered in the frontman's hometown this weekend for the unveiling of a life-sized statue in his honor.

The bronze likeness was uncovered Sunday by Cornell's widow Vicky and the couple's three children outside Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, CBS affiliate KIRO reported.

Chris Cornell statue in Seattle. (SOURCE: KIRO)
Chris Cornell statue in Seattle. (SOURCE: KIRO)

"It's a reflection of his light, a light that shone through his music and touched millions," Cornell was quoted in Rolling Stone as saying. "A light that he used to illuminate our lives, and a light that will continue to inspire those in the future. This statue represents that light — a beautiful, powerful, incomparable presence in a hometown worthy of someone as special as Chris."

According to the magazine, Cornell's Soundgarden bandmates Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd were at the ceremony, saying it was "a lot to take in."

"There were so many moments [with Chris] that impacted my development as a musician and later on, just as friends," said Cameron, the band's former drummer.

Cornell was found dead in a Detroit hotel room in May 2017, the result of an apparent suicide by hanging. It was initially speculated narcotics or medication might have contributed to his death, but a coroner's report concluded otherwise. A month after Cornell's death, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, a close friend of Cornell, died in an apparent suicide. The singers' deaths have once again turned a spotlight on the importance of mental health in the face of drug addiction, which both men experienced.

Cornell, who was also the singer of the bands Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, as a well as a solo artist, was 52 when he died. Soundgarden won two Grammys for songs on their seminal 1994 album "Superunknown."

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