After a contentious legal battle that lasted several years following Chris Cornell’s death in 2017, Soundgarden and the Estate of Chris Cornell have announced an end to their dispute over unreleased recordings by the band and the late Cornell. In a joint statement shared on Cornell’s social media, Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, representing the Estate of Chris Cornell, declared that they had reached an amicable out-of-court resolution. The two parties expressed their happiness and stated that the settlement marks a new partnership between them, allowing Soundgarden fans worldwide to hear the final songs that the band and Cornell were working on.
The unreleased recordings consist of seven songs, all of which were written or co-written by Cornell. Cornell receives sole writing credit on two tracks, “Cancer” and “Stone Age Mind.” Matt Cameron co-wrote “Road Less Traveled,” “Orphans,” and “At Ophians Door” with Cornell. “Ahead of the Dog” was written by Kim Thayil with Cornell, while “Merrmas” was co-written by Ben Shepherd.
In late 2019, a legal battle erupted when Vicky Cornell filed a lawsuit against the surviving members of Soundgarden. The suit accused the band of withholding royalties and disputed the rights to seven unreleased recordings. According to court documents, the lawsuit claimed that Soundgarden “shamelessly conspired to wrongfully withhold hundreds of thousands of dollars owed to Chris’ widow and minor children in an unlawful attempt to coerce Chris’ Estate into turning over certain audio recordings created by Chris before he passed away.”
Vicky Cornell claimed that the seven unreleased recordings were made by her late husband Chris Cornell in his personal Miami Beach, Florida studio in 2017, and there was no agreement that they were exclusively for Soundgarden. According to Vicky’s complaint, she agreed to share the recordings with the band after Cornell’s death on the condition that they hired one of his “trusted producers” and kept her informed about any possible marketing strategy. However, Vicky alleged that Soundgarden failed to comply with these conditions.
Soundgarden responded in early 2020 that the seven unreleased recordings were not solely made by Cornell, but rather were a product of the band’s writing and recording sessions that spanned from 2015 onwards. They pointed to public interviews with both Cornell and Thayil discussing their work on this material as early as 2015, as well as tangible evidence such as emails between the band members, including Cornell, exchanging audio files and lyrics, and full “live” audio recordings of the band working on and performing the songs at its Seattle studio. This evidence supported the band’s claim that they had rights to the unreleased recordings and that they were not created solely by Cornell.
A second lawsuit was filed by Vicky Cornell in February 2021. This suit sought a judicial valuation of her late husband’s interest in the band and its related properties, with Vicky believing that the $300,000 buyout that Soundgarden had offered her in October 2020 was “ludicrously low.” In response, Vicky offered Soundgarden up to $7 million each for their collective interests in the band and its related properties. Soundgarden rejected this offer, stating that they did not want to sell because their interests represented their creative life’s work.
In response to that lawsuit, Soundgarden said in a statement that Vicky and the Cornell estate had “hijacked” the band’s social media accounts, “misleading and confusing our fans.” The two parties settled their social media dispute in June 2021, with control over the accounts transferring back to Soundgarden. However, the dispute over the value of Vicky’s inherited stake in the band remained unresolved. Soundgarden accused Vicky of attempting to “tarnish the legacy of Soundgarden… and the reputations of the surviving band members who loved Cornell like a brother.”
As of today, the disputes appear to be resolved per their shared announcement. However, neither party has provided any information available about the specifics of the settlement, and no official court filings have been made to confirm the resolution.
In 2021, the family of Cornell settled a separate lawsuit against a doctor who they claimed over-prescribed drugs to him before his suicide. A toxicology report revealed that at the time of his death, Cornell had several prescription drugs in his system, including Naloxone, Butalbital, Pseudoephedrine, and Lorazepam. While the medical examiner’s report confirmed Cornell’s cause of death as suicide by hanging and stated that drugs did not contribute to his death, it is worth noting that potential side effects of Lorazepam include thoughts of suicide or self-harm, worsening mood, and feelings of depression. It is unclear whether any of the drugs found in his system affected his state of mind at the time of his suicide.
The settlement finally puts an end to a long and acrimonious legal battle between Soundgarden and the Estate of Chris Cornell. The resolution allows the parties to unite and honor the legacy of Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, a band that made an indelible mark on music history.
Vicky Cornell, who was married to Chris Cornell from 2004 until his death in 2017, shares two children with him, daughter Toni who is 18 years old, and son Christopher who is 17 years old.
In addition, Chris had a daughter named Lily, who is now 22 years old, from his previous marriage to Susan Silver. Lily has followed in her father’s footsteps and has a budding music career of her own and current fronts (as Lily Silver) the band Josie on the Rocks. She has used her platform to advocate for mental health awareness and has interviewed musicians and mental health professionals on her IGTV show, Mind Wide Open. Susan Silver is a prominent music manager who has managed many successful bands, including Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Screaming Trees.
The legal feud between Soundgarden and the Estate of Chris Cornell has caused widespread concern among fans, as the dispute has delayed the release of the late singer’s final recordings. The settlement, however, provides a glimmer of hope that these recordings may finally see the light of day. While no specific plans or dates have been announced yet, this resolution marks a significant step towards honoring Cornell’s legacy and his contributions to the music industry. As fans continue to mourn his loss, they can take solace in the fact that his music will live on through his many recordings and the memories he has left behind.
