Of all the talented musicians that influenced me as I aged, few had a truly lasting impression. One that did, for David Hojak personally, had a voice as memorable as a song from his early childhood. This man’s is a voice that I’ll never forget…… not only because of what he spoke of, but how he said exactly what he did. He had a way of wording things that didn’t just speak a message, but also left an impression… and even invoked curiosity. His lyrics were the kind you’d hear & remember. Once you heard him, understood him, thought about his words & then… had time to see him reach his own conclusion, his conclusion seemed just as sad as any other ending.

Yet, it spoke so little of his talents that he shared with the world while he was alive.

Chris was a musician whose voice influenced me from an early age. I first heard him via Los Angeles’ ‘Pirate Radio’ station, just before the ’90’s Alternative Rock’ era. Soundgarden opened for Guns & Roses, via Pay-Per-View, at a show in Paris, and at 11 years old…… that was my first time seeing Chris on-stage. Though I’d heard two of their songs before that night, Soundgarden’s set was superior. Though they only had two singles from their LP ‘Badmotorfinger,’ their foremost LP at that time (no Superunknown yet)… I still loved them. His voice, their percussion, their strings. It all worked so well. By the time they released Superunknown, the world was floored by this man’s voice. I loved seeing & listening to it happen. It was an inspiring, successful uprising to behold, be part of as a fan & enjoy the work of.

Growing alongside the release of Superunknown (I was 14 when it debuted), was as awesome as possible. The music that many of you kids listen to today says nothing, and requires zero talent. Music back when vocalists like Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, Layne Staley & Chris Cornell showed up suddenly changed. Watching Chris develop beyond his own personal issues, which he’d make occasional ‘reference’ to in songs, was an inspiring spectacle. Hearing his four-octave voice sing like no other performer in his era ever could… left a new pinnacle for vocalists to strive for & achieve. Chris set standards that had never before been achieved in rock, not just expressively, and not just in his “genre”… but performance-wise, both emotionally & philosophically.

When I was 16, Down on the Upside debuted…… and although it didn’t have as many stand-outs as Superunknown did, at least three tracks absolutely shined. Two ran back-to-back, and other stood alone as examples of Chris’ tested range & proven vocal capacities. Soundgarden then followed up their second LP that attracted major industry attention by breaking up for nearly 13 years. They officially disbanded in early April of 1997, then reunited to start January of 2010. It all ended for Soundgarden, as a group, with Chris’ passing in 2017. 

Simply put, they’ll never replace his voice. 

The drive to “visit” Chris was a somber one, guided by the soundtrack of his songs and words. My other-half at the time & I journeyed from Vegas, back to Hollywood in California, to visit the graveyard. By this time in life, I’d seen both parents, a sibling & several others “pass away,” or come close. Yet, watching the most influentially talented vocalist I’d seen in my lifetime so tragically outright commit suicide was mind blowing…… unlike any other death “in rock,” or even “in my lifetime.” His voice wasn’t one you simply found another to replace it with. His efforts were subconsciously timeless, even then, and in my opinion they stand to this day. No other male vocalist since, in any genre, has given us the same type of raw truth. None have offered their own uncensored emotion through their sheer talent, least of all with such commanding & thought-provoking vocals. Who can say if there’s ever even been anyone as honestly heartfelt in his musical words, sounding as genuinely gifted?

Of all my dead family, “losing” Chris Cornell was probably the most hurtful of the “goodbyes” I said. Before even getting to meet & thank him…… before even having a chance to talk with him for a minute or two, he was gone. It was yet another catalyst example of a lesson I’ve been taught, then retaught, since childhood…… enjoy those you have while you have them, as much as you can, for as long as you can. They aren’t going to be there forever. No one alive ever is. Our collective time here, in this, as we are, is limited. Enjoy it as much as you ever have. A rough Monday on minimal sleep is better than being boxed-up & buried, with no chance of ever again awakening. The loss of someone you admire or love, or even both, before their time…… is devastating. Cornell’s passing was more tragic than the passing of my parents, more blindsiding. No one saw it coming. Everyone was there to pay homage in this horrendous tragedy’s aftermath.

Chris Cornell’s music will live forever…… giving all not only something to relate to & feel understood through, but also an awesome voice to enjoy. True fans will effortlessly recall all the timelessness of his vocal talents for those decades before. Those who hear him generations later will be curious about who & what exactly they just heard. Most importantly, even in his aftermath, his output has the sound to motivate a similarly talented vocalist…… and then, when *they* give it a try…… a generation’s worth of music, as talent-driven as Chris’ was, has potential to come of it. Though not at this time, I do have some hope for society’s eventual future…… even if that hope has nothing to do with their own tastes in music.

“That’s the miracle of music. No one can interpret a Picasso, but a song can be remixed and covered and interpreted in an infinite number of ways. It’s a living thing.”

~Chris Cornell