Joseph Arthur posted a tribute to Chris Cornell after he passed that we missed at the time. Here it is below:
I met Chris during PJ 20. He was backstage and in Pearl Jam’s dressing room commiserating with Ed about what they’d sing together. I had two big paintings back there and was lucky enough to be a fly on the wall for something historical. Chris was an intimidating character and I was star struck.
Soundgarden was a favorite band of mine for a time and Chris was the other worldly scary and beautiful singer. He bee lined for the paintings and went on about how great he thought they were. I was beside myself as he asked me questions about them, knowing quite a lot about art himself. Later on he said to me “I don’t know that much about art but I recognize what’s great and have a good record of being correct ” or something to that effect. He was genuinely interested in the work and checking more out so we exchanged info. I wrote him a few days later explaining how nice it was to meet him. He wrote me back quickly and was unnervingly nice. Unnerving I guess cause Chris had this quality of intimidation, demanded a certain level of respect (at least to me) maybe his friendliness was a way to set people at ease. A learned skill. He invited me to a Soundgarden show and I went. Saw the great gig and texted him about ten mins after he finished from the Parking lot and thanking him for the passes. He texted back straight away “where are you, I’ll come find you”
Firstly I was shocked he responded at all and ten minutes after ruling the world fronting Soundgarden. I spilt that night but we made a plan to hang in the next few days. And we did. He came and picked me up in a really amazing vintage car. Can’t remember the exact make but it was the car you’d have wanted him to own. I mean this guy was beyond cool. We were in LA and we decided to goto Runyon and hike. Sort of an LA tradition.
I finally got passed being star struck and we had some nice conversations. Went hiking a few more times and a budding friendship began. Like all friendships they just appear like gifts, their origins are mysterious and yet something about them feels preordained. Like you were friends before you were friends. I’m sure you know the feeling.
I didn’t know what he knew of my music. On my path I’ve learned to assume nothing. Usually people don’t know my music or else they look at me like how could I imagine they don’t know it. It’s funny. With Chris it really never came up outside of just general talk about music and usually me asking him questions about Soundgarden and Audioslave. I’d ask him about what it was like working with Rick Rubin and Timbaland. I told him I thought that was cool that he stretched himself and challenged his audiences perception of him. I love it when artists do that. I think artist are often if not usually at their greatest when they are being hated most fiercely. That’s when you can tell one of us. The ones not afraid to be hated. He was funny. Was still totally in shape. I asked him what he did for that. And told him I needed to step up my game showing him my fat gut. We talked about that lunatic stalker that was constantly fucking with him. What are these rodents that just try to drain people who are just trying to get by? These types of people need to be routed out quick. They are like mind cancer. But as I was saying…
I didn’t know what Chris knew of my music. I respected him a great deal and I wanted him to know what I was about as an artist. At the time I was working on the Ballad of Boogie Christ. I thought about it for a bit which song I should play him. I only wanted to play him one. Didnt want to bombard him with a trip down memory lane of my greatest hits. I mean I wanted the guy to also like me.
I dialed up I Miss the Zoo and played it thru his vintage car stereo on our way back to Runyon. After it finished he said “man that’s a tour de force” I’ll never forget it.
It’s weird how news of someone’s death finds you. Always catches you unaware and it’s always a shock in a case such as this. I had just arrived at the studio drenched in sweat having ridden in from Red Hook to Chelsea. Jesse said to Geoff “sad about Chris Cornell” I asked “what happened? ” and then the darkness swarmed.
When someone dies reactions are funny things. Some people you react much stronger than you would have guessed. As was the case with Chris. We hung a few times that’s it. I didn’t know him all that well but we had other things in common. Things about family of origin. We had a connection and so when I found out he took his own life it hit me like a gut punch from way down.
As an artist it’s as natural as running is to a sprinter to look for redemption in every loss. When you lose a legend you can’t make up for that but you can incorporate him into your own dream and help the light push thru even if the source forgot about its own power. Rest In Peace my brother
Chris I don’t know what happened but I need you to know that getting to know you to the degree that I did meant so much to me. You are certainly loved and missed from me dear sir. The honor was mine.
– JA
