The City of Seattle is all set to honor Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, who tragically took his own life last year in May after a concert in Detroit.
Since then, Soundgarden fans have been petitioning the city to honor the late singer in some fashion. Now, it looks like the singer’s widow is answering those requests by commissioning a statue of the Soundgarden frontman.
Chris’ widow Vicky Cornell announced on Friday that she would be donating a life-sized bronze statue of her late husband to the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. The statue will receive a public unveiling ceremony on August 29th, serving as a memorial service to Cornell and his musical career.
Vicky Cornell released a statement alongside the announcement, saying that there is no better place than the city of Seattle to honor the late musician’s career. She says that the statute is her gift to the people of Seattle who have been asking for some kind of memorial since her husband passed away last year.
Sculptor Nick Marras was contracted to re-create Cornell’s iconic look in bronze.
The statue depicts Cornell, standing in his iconic pose with his boots, dog tag, long hair, and layers of punk clothing. The statue will stand facing Fifth Avenue on the museum’s gold south entrance.
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An initial crop of photos were released to TMZ ahead of the weekend.. The work-in-progress snapshots include a close-up photograph of a portion of the singer’s bronzed face, which accurately recreates his mustache and signature wavy locks.
That’s an interesting sneak-peek, though it may not have been authorized. Marras told DMN that additional photos of the statue are not being released at this time — at least until Vicki gives the word.
Fans gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the singer’s apparent suicide in May of this year, visiting his gravesite in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Vicky Cornell was inspired by the statue that sits near Anton Yelchin’s grave, who is buried near Chris. She wanted to commission the same sculptor to honor Chris’ memory.
After supplying a photograph of her late husband in March, Marras began his work on the statue.