Chris Cornell’s Wife Says He Would Be ‘Honored’ By Soundgarden’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination

The 2020 nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame were announced this morning, and among the first-time nominees was Soundgarden. Although Chris Cornell isn’t around to hear the news himself, those close to him believe it would have made him happy.

His wife Vicky Cornell tweeted her reaction to the news, writing, “Congratulations @soundgarden! I’m so proud! I know @chriscornell would be so honored! Thank you @rockhall this means so much & thank you to all the fans who’s love & support continues to cement Chris’s life and legacy #soundgarden #chriscornell forever.” The Hall Of Fame responded, “Congratulations @soundgarden, we’re thrilled to honor the band and @chriscornell’s legacy on this year’s ballot.”

Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil agrees with Cornell, as he told Billboard about the band’s nomination coming after Cornell’s death, “It is very bittersweet. He would be pleased with it. That’s certainly different from where we were maybe in the ’80s and early ’90s, but I know from Chris attending one or two [induction ceremonies] and inducting Heart that he saw the significance of it and saw how important it was to the fans and to the bands being inducted, and he said, ‘Yes, this is very important and it’s cool,’ so he would be very excited.”

Thayil also spoke about how the nomination is big for Cornell’s legacy, saying: “Y’know, when I was first told I wasn’t sure which end is up because of the jet lag. Then I took some time and wrapped my head around it, and I felt good. I thought this is important, especially for the legacy of Soundgarden, and for Chris’ legacy. It’s really important now to understand this from the perspective of the fans and to understand Soundgarden as both a current enterprise as well as a posthumous exercise.”

Find the full list of 2020 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame nominees here.