Chris Cornell Kids' Videos--2011 and 2010

Video montages I made of Chris Cornell's children for Father's Day 2011, and 2010 below. Inspired by Vicky Cornell's mother, Toni Karayiannis, and mega-fan Rose Hurt, among many others!



First Video, 2010 (I was still learning):

Because there is nothing more precious than the bond between Chris and his kids!

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Chris Cornell Announces Songbook Tour (Surprise!)

Chris Cornell Announces Plans For 'Songbook' Acoustic Tour
Posted by CCadmin on 1/19/2011

This Spring, Chris Cornell will embark on his first-ever solo acoustic “Songbook” tour. Running from April through May 2011, it will spotlight songs from throughout his illustrious career, as well as a few surprise covers.

Back in December 2009, Cornell played his first acoustic “Songbook” show in Los Angeles at the Hotel Cafe to overwhelming response - the show sold out instantly. A second performance soon followed at the city's famous Troubadour.

Now, live audiences across the US & Canada will also have the chance to see Chris perform unplugged, up close and personal - an event many fans have been eagerly anticipating for years. Within this alternative setting, Cornell can easily interact with the audience and share insights about his music. Familiar songs emerge in a new context, showing that great songwriting translates to any idiom.

4/1/11 Austin, TX @ Paramount Theatre
4/2/11 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
4/3/11 Dallas, TX @House of Blues
4/5/11 Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
4/6/11 Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
4/8/11 Bridgeport, CT @ The Klein Memorial Auditorium
4/9/11 Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Hall
4/10/11 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
4/12/11 New York, NY @Town Hall Theatre
4/15/11 Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa - Music Box
4/16/11 Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
4/17/11 Washington, DC @ Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
4/19/11 Poughkeepsie, NY @ Bardavon
4/20/11 Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
4/22/11 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
4/23/11 Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
4/24/11 Saint Paul, MN @Fitzgerald Theatre
4/26/11 Edmonton, AB @Winspear Centre
4/27/11 Medicine Hat, AB @ Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
4/29/11 Victoria, BC @ Royal Theatre
4/30/11 Coquitlam, BC @ Red Robinson Show Theatre
5/1/11 Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
5/3/11 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
5/4/11 Los Angeles, CA @ John Anson Ford Amphitheatre
5/6/11 San Diego, CA @Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

See you in Chicago and Milwaukee!!

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Find me some cuter pictures

Musician Chris Cornell and family [Vicky, Toni, Chris and Lil' Chris]arrive at the screening of Disney's "Tinker Bell And The Great Fairy Rescue" on August 28, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (August 27, 2010 - Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images North America)

And I'll be happy to post them. From the Chris Cornell Fan Page come these shots of the Cornell family taking flight to the premiere last night of "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" Both kids are wearing wings--and Converse, and being held by their incredible father, Chris Cornell.

The Universe is right.

Couldn't find any cuter, could ya'? Don't worry, not much can compete with this family.

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Randy "The Unit" Johnson Turns Pro Again For Soundgarden!

Randy Johnson, left; Chris Cornell, right, just in case a few of you really have been living under a rock for 20 years.

From SPIN Magazine:

"BIG UNIT, BIG SHOW"

"Photographers working the pit for Soundgarden's comeback set at the recent Lollapalooza festival in Chicago were joined by a very special, if unexpected guest: Baseball legend Randy Johnson, aka "the Big Unit," a veteran of 22 seasons in the big leagues, with 302 career victories, five Cy Young Awards as the game's best pitcher, and a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.

"Soundgarden, old pals of Johnson's from his days pitching for the Seattle Mariners in the late-'80s and '90s, invited the 6'10" hurler to hang out with them at Lollapalooza, and Johnson brought along his camera gear to document the band's big night.

"Here, Johnson shares his favorite shots from the gig, and tells SPIN.com about how he met Soundgarden—SPIN's current cover stars—back in 1989 and ended up in their Lolla entourage this year."

Interview by Peter Gaston

The 46 year-old catches some air...

Chris Cornell. Yes, he's singing "Jesus Christ Pose"

[Nancy:]

I've been dying to see what Randy's pics looked like. He filmed the Vic show, partly in front of us--while I was thinking, "They couldn't have hired a shorter videographer?" and one of my companions was saying, "Hey, that guy looks just like Randy Johnson!" to which we rolled our eyes. Oops. Sorry, Arthur. Randy also took some GREAT shots at Lolla for Spin Magazine. My favorite is actually one of Matt:

My personal drumming inspiration, Matt Cameron, last seen signing my Lolla Mag in 1996 at a gas station outside of the Gorge at George in WA. The pen he used had a pic of a little Siamese cat taped to it. Luckily, he didn't notice.

SPIN: "Johnson was stoked to share his photos with the band, after Lollapalooza. "Everybody in the Soundgarden camp has liked them," Johnson says. "I sent them to Kim, and he sent them to [drummer] Matt [Cameron] and [bassist] Ben [Shepherd]. And they all liked the shots. I think it was maybe something more than what they expected, which is a compliment to me."

Cameron might even use some of the shots for an upcoming drum endorsement, Johnson said."

Kim Thayil

BACK IN 1989...

"... Randy Johnson got traded from the Montreal Expos to the Seattle Mariners, right around the time the Emerald City was giving birth to some of the '90s biggest bands, including Soundgarden.

"'I listened to all types of music, and obviously when I got to Seattle I was very much aware of the music scene there,' Johnson recalls. 'And Kim [Thayil, Soundgarden's guitarist, pictured above] is a very familiar face with the black beard. I saw him on the big screen in the KingDome where we were playing a baseball game that night, so I figured he must be a baseball fan.'"

Kim Thayil on left, Ben Shepherd on right. Our "team" was down in front of Ben and had a blast with him!

"'I made my way to a Soundgarden concert that year while the baseball season was still going. And I met their manager at the time, whoever that was [This is a hysterical pot-shot if you know the history of Chris or the band--Nancy], and I just explained who I was,' Johnson says.

"'My name's Randy Johnson and I play for the Seattle Mariners. I saw Kim Thayil on the Jumbotron and I'd like to invite him to come down to the ballpark and take some batting practice if he wants.'

"'I left my number, and within a couple of days he got back to me and I arranged him and, actually he brought Ben Shepherd, the bass player, down with him to the dome, and they took batting practice and had a good time.'"

"REUNITED"

"After retiring from baseball in 2009, just after notching his 300th career win as a pitcher—a milestone only 23 other players have achieved—Johnson returned to Seattle at the start of the 2010 season to be honored by his former team. It just so happened that Soundgarden was about to end their retirement at the exact same time.

"'Kim had asked me to come down to a studio where they were rehearsing,' says Johnson. 'And this was several days before they did that unannounced first show of theirs at the Showbox in Seattle. Unfortunately, the day before they played that show, I had to leave to go to Japan, so I wasn't able to make it, but I watched them rehearse one night in Seattle and got caught up with all them, told them all good luck.'

"'Kim told me shortly after that visit that they were going to be doing Lollapalooza and headlining, and I told him that I'd like to come,' Johnson says. 'My schedule worked out great—I flew from Baltimore to Chicago the morning of the Lollapalooza show, hooked up with Kim and his girlfriend, put my suitcase down, and drove over to the venue with those guys and hung out, said hi to a lot of people, and then took pictures.'"

Bravo, Baseball Legend!!

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If I've told you once...

...I've told you a thousand times. Ross Halfin takes the best rock pictures out there, period. Who else (behind a lens) can get a look like this out of a Cornell portrait?



No one I know...




June 13, 2009 Download Festival




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Hottest Act of 2010--We Salute You!

Chris Cornell at the beginning of the Lollapalooza set, Aug 8, 2010.

Chris Cornell at the end of the Lollapalooza set, Aug 8, 2010. Can you spot the differences?

'Twas a hot motherfucker out there Sunday night...

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Right Turn w/Layne Staley (AIC), Chris Cornell and Mark Arm of Mudhoney

A.K.A. Alice Mudgarden

Inside always trying to get back inside
But it's so hard to penetrate pig-thick skin
I'm 'bout as low as I can get
I'd leave but I can't forget
Still I wonder why it, it ain't right?
It ain't right, ain't right, it ain't right, yeah
'Bout as low as she can get
She'll leave me but she won't forget
And she wonders why she ain't right?
She ain't right, ain't right, she ain't right
Now we're as low as we can get
Can't leave and can't forget
We ain't right, we ain't right, not right, we ain't right
Well it's hard to believe that somebody tricked you (Well it's hard to believe that somebody tricked you) (Ain't right)
When you can see you were only high (When you can see you were only high) (We ain't right)
It's all up to you so you gamble (It's all up to you so you gamble) (We ain't right)
Flat on your face and into the fire (Flat on your face and into the fire) (We ain't right)
Well it's hard to believe that somebody tricked you (We ain't right)
(Well it's hard to believe that somebody tricked you) (We ain't right)
When you can see you were only high (We ain't right) (When you can see you were only high)
It's all up to you so you gamble (It's all up to you so you gamble) (We ain't right)
Flat on your face and into the fire (Flat on your face) (It's all up to you so you gamble) (We ain't right)


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Soundgarden in SPIN--"Full Access"

Photo by Francesco Carrozzini

Soundgarden: Alive in the Superunknown By David Peisner

This is one of the best in-depth articles I've seen in a long time. Extensive quotes from Ben, who's been having shit for luck; Kim, who likes to sleep as much as I do; Matt, who confirms his loyalties to Pearl Jam; Chris, who speaks the least but, as usual, speaks honestly; and surprisingly, Susan Silver, Cornell's ex-wife and ex-manager.

The most interesting part was that Cornell's January 1 tweet:

"The 12-year break is over and school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!" was actually misinterpreted as a reunion announcement for the band.

"As Thayil tells me later, 'We're not the Knights of the Soundtable, that was our fan club. We were just re-upping it with the new website. But the rumors generated offers. The demand was overwhelming. I wouldn't say we acquiesced, but we kind of warmed to the idea.'"

And thank God for that.


Cornell and Matt with SG at Lollapalooza

As far as this fan is concerned, I'm grateful for anything that comes along, and most certainly for the once-in-a-lifetime moments, from the rail at Lollapalooza, where Laurie and I played with a very outgoing Ben Shepherd from the stage above--to the intimate (and slightly bone-crushing) gig at the 1400-seat Vic Theatre, also in Chicago.

Anything else is just icing on the cake. Read more!

August 8, 2010. No Words

Except these: Click for full-screen image.

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Why my head is still spinning...

Chris Cornell at The Vic in Chicago 8/05

Photos by Stephanie Munoz, fellow rail warrior!

Couple from Lollapalooza after the break. Still on the rail, but further away, obviously.

Lolla...

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If a picture is worth a 1000 words

Nancy and Laurie on the rail, Arthur and Steph 2nd row.
Lollapalooza on Sunday, waiting for Soundgarden!!

Then consider this a 1000-word post. Back at work, trying to recover and eventually put words to the experience-- if that is possible. I've never felt to alive as I did these past 5 days. Love my Cornell/Soundgarden friends!!!



Wait for it... Read more!

The Luckiest Slovenian

I've already e-mailed this photographer, Ross Halfin, to see if he'll be in Chicago next week. I hope to God he is. He is the best there is.

Mind Riot

I was slipping through the cracks of a stolen jewel
I was tightrope walking in two ton shoes
Now somebody is talking about a third world war
And the police said this was normal control
And the candle was burning yesterday
Like somebody's best friend died
And I've been caught in a mind riot
I was crying from my eye teeth and bleeding from my soul
And I sharpened my wits on a dead man's skull
I built an elevator from his bones
Had to climb to the top floor just to stamp out the coals
And the candle was burning yesterday
Like somebody's best friend died
And I've been caught in a mind riot
I'm tied within
I'm luck's last match struck
In the pouring down wind

****************************


Cornell at the Showbox with SG, April 16, 2010

Something funny happened on the way to work Friday. You could say it was a 72 hour commute, because that's how long it took to get there. Tuesday, July 27 was the day that Soundgarden World (SG's official website) announced that SG would be playing an intimate show at The Vic in Chicago on the Thursday preceding their Lollapalooza appearance on August 8, effectively turning the world of every SG/Chris Cornell fan upside-down. Nearly every Slovenian within hearing range was challenged to register for this private show, and I'm fairly certain each and every one of them did. (See previous post for excruciating details.)


Ginger Ale, whom, by the way, Slash finds adorable ;)

As Friday morning approached in 2-3 hour increments (my pit bull got diarrhea--even she couldn't handle the pressure) my anxiety climbed higher and higher. I had some serious sleep meds on board, and while they did make it a little hard to navigate my tall and narrow stairs with a 75 lb dog trying to get out the front door in time, they certainly weren't keeping me asleep. All I could think about was 10 a.m.

I could have clocked in around 3 a.m., but I waited until my usual Friday time of 9 a.m. I had windows open all over my computer by then: Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and Soundgarden World forums. Every fan with a working outlet was plugged into this event.

And so we waited. I must have gotten a dozen messages spread over all the media forms asking "Did you hear yet?" as if the first thing I wouldn't do was post it in every fucking place I could find.

We didn't hear until after 11 a.m., if I remember clearly (and I don't). Someone on SGW posted that they had just won. I immediately refreshed my e-mail and found myself looking at a message from SGW:

Dear Soundgarden Winner,

Yesssss!!! You have successfully won the drawing for a chance to purchase a pair of tickets to Soundgarden's show at the Vic Theatre on Thursday, August 5th. Please read and follow the steps below to make your ticket purchase: fine print, blah, blah, blur...

FUCK.

Checked FB to see if any friends had won. Quiet.
Checked Twitter to see if any friends had won. Quiet.
Checked SGW again--still just one, someone I didn't know.

How long was I supposed to wait to announce what might not be happening for my friends?

Then one of them saw the SGW winner and asked if ANYONE had heard anything, positive or negative. I was in shock--what if this was a mistake? Why was I the only one getting good (or any) news? I began to dread coming clean.

After a solid 5 minutes of reading and re-reading my message, I was pretty convinced it was indeed the Golden Ticket in the last Wonka Bar. I had to say it. So I said it--I even all-capped it. If you're going to win, win big.

Facebook: I FUCKING WON!!!
Twitter: I FUCKING WON!!!
E-mail: I FUCKING WON!!!

And the posts, tweets and e-mails starting pouring in. Needless to say, right about this time was when work started getting busy, so I was juggling insane joy, pressing guilt and a full on Mind Riot as I struggled to take orders without my voice breaking, or without shouting to whomever was on the other end: I FUCKING WON!!!

The e-mails brought it home. Two or three more winners popped up in the SGW forum, but no one in our circle. I began to feel sick. I faked my way through one more call and turned the ringer off. I let the tears flow--happy mixed with sad, denial mixed with acceptance. I was the one. I was the only one. It wasn't supposed to happen that way.

I rushed to Twitter and started abusing my privileges with Cornell and Toni, his mother-in-law. There must be a mistake, I typed, Laurie and Steph didn't get a message. What happened? I asked. Don't you know them as well as your own crew? How could this happen? And finally, I remembered to thank them.

I went back to SGW and there was the death knell:

All of the winners have been notified. Thank you to everyone for entering.

I posted this, and felt a quiet fall over Cyberspace. I felt everyone fall away until I was standing in a cloud of black with nothing all around me. I felt completely alone. A party of one is no party at all. If it wasn't for my sister texting me her exuberance, I felt more like I had just been kicked off the island than voted in. Solemnly, shaking, I clicked on the magic link, entered my password, and purchased two tickets for $100--for a million dollar show.

Thankfully, work ends early for me Fridays, and I had an excuse to get out of my office, away from the computer and all the disappointment I was reading in the silence there.

I am still adjusting to this new role as The Vic Spokesperson for our large group. I was instructed to videotape, photograph and write down EVERYTHING. I started to get a little worried. I can't even remember setlists once I'm leaving a venue. With good luck came tremendous responsibility--to transmit everyone's joy at the SG reunion, and to remember every single detail to share it with them afterwards.

Today I took steps to make sure I don't let them down. I found another winner, a videographer based in LA, and sent an e-mail asking if he'd be handling that part. I e-mailed famous rock photographer Ross Halfin to see if he would be there--as he had been at so many pivotal shows for them and for other enormous bands. I bought a small black notebook to write down songs and comments as they happened during the show, and immediately pictured myself dropping the damn thing just out of reach over the rail, unable to regain it until it the show was over and my brain was fried. I can picture myself now with a string tied to my shorts so I don't lose my notebook. Whatever works. I am willing to do whatever it takes to bring what I experience inside the walls of the Vic outside to my waiting friends. And I'm so thankful they'll still be waiting for me.

We have a fantastic Sunday ahead of us!!


Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell at the Showbox April 16 in Seattle

I am one lucky Slovenian.

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Seeing Double--Revised

Addendum: It has been rightfully brought to my attention (by Twitterer @inamusic)that my analogy to Germany's Love Parade, in which 21 people have now died in a preventable stampede, was inappropriate and disrespectful of the lives of both the victims, their families, and friends. I regret choosing those words and will be the first to admit that I don't always choose wisely. My deepest condolences again to all those affected in the tragedy in Berlin.
_________________________________________________________


We were all seeing double today

We all thought that wondering whether or not Soundgarden would play Lollapalooza was the biggest tease we would endure this summer, but the boys had more up theirs sleeves than that.

First, the impromptu April 16 Nudedragons concert at the Showbox in Seattle, their first official reunion gig, in which you had to be annointed by the Holy Mary to get tickets. Time between rumor and ticket availabilty was less than 24 hours. It sold out in less than 4 minutes. Reviewer Annastasia Gallaher suggested there could not have been more than 1000 patrons--all of whom waited three agonizing hours for the SG set to start. Their wait was worth every minute, as the unannointed later learned through several leaked videos. (Her review here.) Then the Lolla tease for a few months--which night???

Baby Bad-asses

That was settled after a few rounds of Jeopardy with Perry Farrell's crew, but then the SG crew threw the heaviest wrench ever into the Badmotorfinger tension brewing around the world.

Any Soundgarden news is good news, don't get me wrong, but Cornell-Land was in HYSTERIA today if Facebook, Twitter and e-mail accounts are any indication. Details emerged like wildfire once the first e-mail from Soundgarden World came out this morning, then the heart-wrenching speculation took over.

To the great majority of those going to Lollapalooza next week, the decision whether to buy a 3-Day Pass before we knew what day SG would play was bad enough. (What the hell do we do with a Lady Gaga ticket? Many wondered.) Passes are several hundred dollars each, as will be the bottled water, I'm sure. These days we have ONE Lolla, not a tour, so wherever you are in the world, the cost of getting to Chicago--not a cheap destination for anyone--was another major deciding factor.

But we relented and made our ticket purchases, then plane, train or automobile plans. Housing. It added up very fast, so we looked at each purchase as something separate, discrete, in order that we could deny that we were, in fact, spending anywhere from $500-1000 or more to see one band--granted, The Band--but one band. We're not kids anymore--most of us have them, in fact--and this is mortgage/braces/car payment money. This was a very big deal.

So this unexpected e-mail shows up in our sleepy boxes this morning that Blows Up Our Outside World. Another show. What?? How?? Where??

How to tell what colors are on sale at the hardware store...

The location is The Vic in Chicago, a venue which is quite possibly the most garishly decorated theater I have ever seen--and I've seen a few--that holds a mere 1300 rabid fans. You register for a drawing which, if you win, gives you the chance to buy one pair (and only one pair) of tickets.

Experienced music stalkers know the full value of the "small venue." It is something that those of us who continued to follow Chris Cornell through the various stages of his solo career came to treasure above all else. No tiny panorama of a tiny stage 1/2 mile away accessed only via binoculars or Jumbotrons--no, here you were in the front row, every time, no exception, watching Chris' fingers trip lovingly over his acoustic guitar, wishing you could reach over and tie those boots you were sure he would trip on, holding hands with the man over this song or that, and finally, if you were really lucky, making your way backstage with a few others to stutter your "thank you"s to the band, and the Man. You would never forget the color of his eyes.

Following the e-mail was pure chaos. Hundreds of thousands of fans jammed the lines to register for the chance to buy a pair of tickets. The drawing would not be announced until Friday, July 30, at which point you spent the last money you did not have for a show you had no way to get to, as nearly everyone fell into two camps: a) Those with plans already set for Chicago, nearly all landing after the newly-announced show, or b) Those who had accepted that they could not afford Lollapalooza and everything it entailed, but who were now tempted once again with a one-off concert in the middle of the week, not associated with Perry Farrell's money-making machine.

Anew, agonizing decisions to make. Travel plans to change for expensive fees, new travel plans for those who had passed first time around, work/kid/life conflicts that you thought you'd settled already brought up again.

Did anyone think of saying no? Of not registering? I can say that I thought of it. Closed the pop-up window twice when I couldn't get in due to traffic, thinking, I cannot pull this off too, not on top of the Biggest Circus of the Summer. But in the end, I relented, half-laughing as everyone did at the disclaimer that "if you live in Slovenia and really, really, really want to go, but there's no frickin' way you're flying all the way to Chicago for the show, don't make it harder for someone who can attend by putting in a request." What did SG have against Slovenians, anyway?

I think it is safe to say that if anyone examined the GNP percentage just for today, a distinct drop would be uncovered. Hundreds of thousands of Cornell/SG fans lost the ability to complete a full sentence by 10 a.m. CST, much less actually retain enough focus to work. I am amazed that FB and Twitter traffic over this news did not crash Wall Street itself.

In the end, exhausted by possibilities, the fans ran out of steam, and heart rates once again resumed their normal rates. But I can guarantee you that we should all be braced for a re-run of today's emotional hurricane around the same time Friday morning, when the winners are notified. E-mails will fly faster than Midwest mosquitoes, and $130,000 (plus convenience fees) will be collectively spent in the space of a few short minutes.

Who will join "Vic's 1300 Club?"

All we can do is wait.

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Happy Birthday, Christopher John!

The Man--No Myth--A Legend


Bunch of crazy chicks who drove/flew in from all over to see CC in Seattle in 2007. (I still miss that $500 snowblower, Chris. Just sayin'.)

Tuesday, July 20, a soon-to-be National Holiday, is Chris Cornell's 46th birthday. His family is baking him a personal cake, and another cake will be constructed (according to mother-in-law Toni Karayiannis) that will bear all his fans' names on it. They decided to lay it out flat over western Nevada, for space reasons. Coyotes all over eastern CA and westen NV are drooling already. Too bad you still can't Twitter cake...

So how DO you celebrate the birthday of one of the greatest voices of all time? By posting a picture of his tonsils? (Oh shit, I'm his #2 fan and I don't know if he ever had his tonsils out! Guess that's why Laurie Rosso is still #1. She'll know.) Anyway, no, that would be asinine! I have one t-shirt from Audioslave in which he is represented by a close-up of his throat (golden vocal chords left to the imagination) and even that is idiotic. Chris is who he is because of all of him, from his curly dark mop to his impeccable goatee to his throat to his chest (hang on, I need a second) and arms, to his midsection, to his... okay, I can't do this. Boots--to his boots. 6 feet and 3 inches of Fucking Incredible Humanness, set alive by a booming 4-octave voice and paralyzing blue-green eyes.

He is a powerhouse entertainer on stage (watch your fingers if you're so lucky as to be resting your arms on the stage edge, cuz those boots never stop moving) and a humble, kind man backstage who will sign anything (almost) for you. I have a phone and an iPod with his characteristic fried onion signature on them, covered with clear protective tape, of course. (We don't do this shit halfway, if you haven't figured it out.) I just bought two stickers of his bloomin' signature for my Beetle, and I expect more than a few people to ask me if I'm a huge fried onion fan once they're up.

I'm not, incidentally. I mean, they're okay, but they're no Chris Cornell.

Chris is also well-known as a doting father and all-around family man, thanks to an amazing video put together by his #2 fan (who will remain anonymous) put to the song "Promise," which he co-wrote with Slash. She intended to make it for his birthday but got so absorbed in what she was doing she stayed up all night (on a SCHOOL night, no less!) and finished it for Father's Day. If Toni K. is to be believed--seriously, you would doubt her?!--they all watched it together on Sunday and it "brought many smiles." Wow. I still don't know why they consider the artist behind this masterpiece his #2 fan. Probably because she's just a wee bit scared of his #1...

In case you missed it...

Anyway, the one thing I would want if I possessed the Most Golden Rock and Blues Voice on the Planet would be a complete break from ALL his fans (except maybe #1 and #2). But not so fast. They don't call it stalking for nothing. NO BREAKS!! At this VERY MOMENT his Twitter followers (all 1,477,302 of them) are attempting to make his birthday a trending topic on Twitter. I didn't even know what that meant a month ago, but it has something to do with knocking out the network by posting #HappyBdayChrisCornell as many times as humanly possible. I think the other word for this is spam, but it's all in the name of love. Non-Chris fans (I can't believe that phrase even exists) will just have to suffer from the sight of the unsightly Twitter whale all day July 20--and by that I mean the logo, not #2 in her new swim suit.

No matter how he chooses to spend his day (DO be careful, man) I hope it is the best fucking day he's had in years. I truly do, cuz we're going right back to stalking him as soon as he's done. (Hey, he has his job; we have ours.) We (his fans) are all gearing up for October 8, the day everyone who isn't a lucky fuck that got into Seattle's Nudedragons show gets to see SOUNDGARDEN live for the first time in 13 years at Grant Park in Chicago. It will be a reunion of fans from all over the nation, most of whom met via the Chris Cornell website or on FB. Yeah--he's that powerful. I'm just saying, if he decided to serve Kool-Aid at Lollapalooza (and THAT creepy reference is to prove you are old enough to appreciate him) we would drink it en masse, and with smiles on our faces.

So here's to you, Chris Cornell, for making millions upon millions of lives richer in more ways than I can describe in one lame blog post. We truly love you.

With Steph from TX/The Gulf

With Heidi from Seattle

With Laurie (CA), Angela (WA), me (WI), and Tosh (CA)

I fucking dare you to look this good in your forties.

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