The full video of Vicky Cornell accepting the L.A. Chefs for Human Rights Hero Award on behalf of her late husband, Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, earlier this week has now surfaced. Chris Cornell was honored at a fundraising event for Program for Torture Survivors (PTV) at the award-winning restaurant Cassia for his humanitarian efforts and his original song and music video “The Promise.”
Watch the full video at the end of the article, and read quotes transcribed by Alternative Nation below.
“It’s an honor for me to be here to accept this award for my beloved Chris.”
She later said, “I am truly humbled to be accepting this award in a room of philanthropists, humanitarians, and activists who work passionately to advocate for and give voice to those who so desperately need our help.”
“My husband loved to help people, especially children. He believed that [we should] never turn their backs on the most vulnerable and innocent members of our society, whether it’s children or young people who are homeless or abused, suffered from illness or struggled with addictions, who are victims or wars and strife, he would never turn his back on them. His heart was always so full of love, passion, and hope.”
She then discussed the genocide of Armenians, and how it influenced Chris’ final song “The Promise.”
“Chris was deeply affected by the Armenian story, one of our close friends is Dr. Esrailian, the producer of the film and the great grandson of survivors of the genocide. He also understood how profoundly my own Greek family had been affected by the events of 1915. My grandparents had themselves been refugees. Because of these human stories, he wanted to use the song to reach people in their hearts. Through music, he wanted to spread the message that we have a shared humanity, that we must care for each other and not turn our backs on the atrocities being committed against innocent people. The more Chris learned about this dark chapter and the history of the Armenian people, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the similarities in what is happening in Syria today, among other countries.”
