Vicky Cornell cheers on Soundgarden at Hall of Fame
Chris Cornell‘s widow Vicky and son Christopher did not appear on stage during Soundgarden‘s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, but they were shown cheering on the band during “Black Hole Sun.”
Chris’ daughter Lily joined Jim Carrey onstage and acknowledged her mother and former Soundgarden manager Susan Silver, while Chris’ daughter Toni later performed “Fell On Black Days” with Nancy Wilson. After the legal issues between Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, it was a great moment to see all of Chris’ family and bandmates celebrate his legacy.
Jim Carrey inducts Soundgarden to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
When Jim Carrey walked onstage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct Soundgarden, he recalled the tectonic shift he felt when Soundgarden rose to prominence.
“The Seattle music scene resurrected rock ’n’ roll for me,” Carrey began, his voice filled with both humor and reverence. “When I heard Soundgarden for the first time, I wasn’t just excited — I wanted to put on a flannel shirt and run into the street screaming.”
He spoke about how the band’s sound combined rock’s great history to create something new. “They took hard rock, punk, metal, psychedelia — and turned it into something that felt dangerous and spiritual at the same time,” he said. “One of the most majestic, powerful and influential bands ever to walk the Earth.”
Carrey shared a touching memory from 1996, when Soundgarden performed on Saturday Night Live the night he hosted:
“I stood right in front of them, letting the waves of electricity wash over me like an audio baptism. They pushed me under, and when I came up — I was free.”
He smiled as he recalled what happened afterward: “After the show, they handed me the Fender Telecaster that Chris played — signed by the whole band. It’s one of my most treasured possessions.”
But as his tone softened, Carrey turned to the heart of his tribute — the late Chris Cornell.
“His presence was deeply authentic,” Carrey said quietly. “When you looked into his eyes, it was like eternity was staring back. That voice could make a mountain tremble or heal a broken heart — sometimes in the same line.”
“Chris Cornell didn’t just sing songs — he became them. And in doing so, he freed all of us who were listening.”
Carrey also honored the surviving members — Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron — praising how they carried the torch of a band that was both ferocious and deeply human. “They took something raw and made it resonate across generations,” he said. “They turned pain into poetry, chaos into communion.”
As the audience rose to their feet, Carrey closed with a line that summed up the spirit of the night:
“Long live Chris Cornell, and long live Soundgarden.”
It was a fitting farewell and celebration — a moment that tied together the comedy and chaos of Jim Carrey with the thunder and grace of one of Seattle’s most beloved bands.
