To mark what would have been his 56th birthday (July 20th), the Chris Cornell estate has shared the musician’s previously unreleased cover of Guns N’ Roses’ classic 1989 ballad, “Patience.”
Cornell doesn’t stray too far from the original as he breaks out the acoustic guitar for the cover, but his version boasts an added depth thanks to droning synths and percussion that clatters through space. “And the streets don’t change but maybe the names,” Cornell sings, starting to push his voice to its familiar upper edges, “I ain’t got time for the game ’cause I need you/Yeah I need you.”
On Cornell’s Facebook page, the cover of “Patience” arrived with a note: “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,” his widow, Vicky Cornell, wrote. “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.”
On Monday, Cornell’s children Toni and Christopher announced a partnership with the Addiction Policy Forum and the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to start the educational pilot program “Stop the Stigma.” In a statement, Cornell’s children hope the “initiative empowers young people to tackle the stigma around addiction and teaches teens the science of substance-use disorders, prevention, and that addiction is a disease and a mental-health issue, and not a moral flaw.” A corresponding podcast was also launched.
Cornell’s daughter Lily also announced the first episode of Mind Wide Open, a new podcast that aims to “help destigmatize the conversation around mental health.” Its first episode will feature a conversation with Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, author, trauma expert, and founder of the Trauma Stewardship Institute.
“As someone who has suffered trauma and loss, as well as struggled with anxiety and depression, I know how important it is to have a space to talk openly and without shame about these subjects,” Lily Cornell said. “There is so much value, especially for people in my generation, in knowing that everyone struggles with mental health at some point in their lives, despite our society’s dismissive tendencies around emotional well-being. It is important for me to give voice to these issues by providing information, honest conversations, and resources through Mind Wide Open.”
