Yesterday (July 20) would have been Chris Cornell’s 56th birthday. To mark the occasion, his wife, Vicky Cornell and the Cornell Estate have shared a previously unreleased cover of “Patience” by Guns N’ Roses that the Soundgarden singer recorded back in March 2016. 

“Listening to [Chris Cornell’s cover] again after so many years it was hauntingly beautiful; it brought it all back in a rush of bittersweet memories,” Vicky Cornell said in a statement. “His birthday seemed the perfect time to share this and celebrate Chris, his voice, music, stories, and art.”

“It is true a man is not dead while his name is still spoken… and, through his art, an artist’s soul still burns just as bright as ever upon all those that look up to him and his memory. Releasing music that was special to Chris keeps a part of him here with us … his heart and his soul. His love and his legacy.”

Chris Cornell | "Patience"

Chris Cornell died by suicide in May 2017 and has been revered ever since. During his career fronting Soundgarden, performing solo and with his other bands Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, Cornell shared stages with Guns N’ Roses several times during the '90s. The recording of "Patience" comes from an album of covers the singer was working on at the time of his death. 

To mark the third anniversary of his death this May, his daughter Lily Cornell Silver announced a mental health awareness podcast called Mind Wide Open in his memory. This week she has shared the first episode from the series, which aims to “help destigmatize the conversation around mental health,” via social media. Listen here. 

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