Soundgarden has reached a reconciliation with Chris Cornell‘s widow, Vicky Cornell.
A joint statement posted to Instagram reads, “Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out of court resolution.”
Notably, the agreement means that the Soundgarden music that was in the works before Chris Cornell’s death in 2017 will be released.
“The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on,” the statement continues. “The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history — as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time.”
The agreement comes after years of legal drama between Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, which began in 2019 over those final recordings, of which both parties claimed rightful ownership.
Various allegations surfaced amid the proceedings — Vicky accused Soundgarden of trying to buy out her ownership of Chris’ share in the band with a “villainously low” offer, while Soundgarden accused Vicky of misusing charity funds raised from 2019’s Chris Cornell memorial concert — leading up to a “temporary agreement” in June 2021, for which Vicky returned the passwords to Soundgarden’s social media account to surviving members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd.
In 2020, the Cornell estate released a covers album called No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1.
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