When I Think of Chris Cornell, I Think of Jeff Buckley

When I learned of Chris Cornell's sudden passing following a concert last night in Detroit, I thought of the audience that had seen him a short time before. There's a good chance they went from experiencing a moment never to be forgotten to experiencing a moment they would have rather not remembered.


While one could not have lived through the early 1990's without hearing the grunge sound Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Blind Melon and, of course, Soundgarden. But when I think of Chris Cornell, I think of his friendship with Jeff Buckley.


It was 20 years ago this month that Buckley drowned in the Wolf River in Memphis at the age of 30. Cornell paid tribute to his friend in many ways over the years. During a 2011 solo concert tour, Cornell had a red telephone on stage. The phone belonged to Buckley and was given to him by his mother Mary Guibert. Naturally, Cornell also paid tribute to his friend in song. On his 1999 debut solo album, Cornell recorded "Wave Goodbye". When listening to it, one can hear Cornell imitate Buckley's vocal inflections. It lyrics begin:


Words get tangled on your tongue
And you stumble on your feet
When you miss somebody
And everywhere you think you see them
Walking down the street
When you miss somebody


No doubt many of Cornell's friends are experiencing these very feelings at this very moment. R.I.P.