Ann Wilson, one of the lead singers of the band Heart, performed the Soundgarden classic “Black Hole Sun” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Thursday. The performance was a tribute to Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who tragically passed away on Thursday.
Videos by Rare
Wilson, along with her sister and fellow Heart singer Nancy, had crossed paths with Cornell regularly in the past. According to Variety, Cornell and the sisters had been friends for years. Soundgarden had previously recorded at the Seattle studio the Wilsons owned, and Cornell personally inducted Heart into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
Both sisters released statements on the Heart Facebook page. Ann wrote, “It’s important now to keep thoughts of Chris positive. He is on his way. We loved him well, now wish him well on his journey. He was and is a beautiful soul.”
[protected-iframe id=”96d829aec5925ca788076d1779504126-46934866-65121066″ info=”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fheart%2Fposts%2F10155301730374860%3A0&width=500″ width=”500″ height=”495″ frameborder=”0″ style=”border:none;overflow:hidden” scrolling=”no”]
Nancy followed Ann’s statement with, “No one is ever prepared to hear about a death in the family. And today Chris Cornell my brother from my Seattle music family is gone. I thought his voice would forever grace the world of music. Devastating.”
RELATED: Days before he hung himself, Chris Cornell dedicated a message to his beloved wife.
Cornell had spoken fondly of the sisters and Heart. In the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, he sad that during a rough time in his career, “seeing one of the sisters leaving a Seattle recording studio inspired him to keep at it.”