(Credits: Far Out / Press / Alamy)
Sat 28 June 2025 2:00, UK
Soundgarden are now a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame almost a decade after Chris Cornell’s passing. Through his unique vocals and musical work in Soundgarden, with the band Audioslave, and in his own solo projects, Cornell carved out a unique space for himself in the contemporary musical landscape that continues to draw fans from all over the world.
While considering a retrospective of his body of work, a standout is his tribute to Prince with the song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’. Prince made this song famous, and it received a second wave of acknowledgement with a cover by Sinead O’Connor. When speaking about Prince’s music, Cornell said, “Prince’s music is the soundtrack to the soulful and beautiful universe he created, and we have all been privileged to be part of that amazing world.”
They say to never meet your heroes, and though Cornell never formally met Prince, he did have an encounter with him at the Beverly Hills Hotel. He spotted a shirtless Prince pushing his room service cart into the hallway.
“It was awesome because he looked, you know, he looked like Prince, he looked like he was on stage, but he was just pushing the cart out.” He recounted in an interview with KROQ. “And he did that thing that you do when you have no shirt on and you’re pushing the cart out. You don’t want to see another human being. And he saw me and he just started wrestling it out there and slammed the door and didn’t want to see me.”
A picture of two of the world’s most notable artists, in a mundane encounter. Cornell was able to find significance in ordinary moments, and that is what made him such a great artist, even taking that strange meeting with his idol and turning it into a memorable anecdote.
While Cornell didn’t consider himself a huge fan of Prince, he deeply respected his artistry. “Honestly, I can’t say I’m a huge fan, but whether you’re a fan or not, you should be able to appreciate Prince. There’s a uniqueness to what he did, and I’m continually inspired by how great a performer he was.” The incredible range and diversity in Prince’s musical approaches inspired Cornell on multiple occasions, despite the fact that Prince’s music may not always have been up Cornell’s alley.
That first meeting isn’t really something to write home about, especially because Prince didn’t even exchange words with Cornell, who considered the late artist to be among his personal heroes in the world of music. However, Cornell understood the inherent comedy in the encounter and did not take it personally, resulting in a fantastic story that goes straight into the music history books for fans of both artists to enjoy.
Much like Prince, regardless of whether you’re a fan of Chris Cornell or not. His musical footprint has impacted the world in a tremendous way. And this year, the Hall of Fame helps us remember part of his legacy with the induction of Soundgarden.
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