Tom Morello Reflects on Chris Cornell’s Death: ‘I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Recover’
Prophets of Rage and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello recently spoke to Detroit radio station WRIF about the passing of Chris Cornell, who Morello spent a tenure with in Audioslave.
Morello spoke about his reaction to learning about Cornell's death, and how it's been affecting him to this day. "I don't think I'll ever recover from his passing, but we have so many great memories," Tom said about Chris. "And I was just really glad that I was able to… We played an Audioslave show — the first one in 12 years — in January, so to be able to reconnect with him, both as friends and as musical collaborators, that's something I'm so glad we were able to do."
He also spoke about Chester Bennington's recent suicide. "It's insane," Morello said. "It's a horrible loss for the world of music, but also a horrible loss, 'cause they were two… I didn't know Chester as well, but [they were] two really good people. And both seemed very inexplicable, their passing."
He spoke largely about depression, and how more people are waking up to the problems of mental health in the larger music world. "I'm not someone who suffers from depression, so I don't understand it, but you've really gotta… For all you listeners out there, if you do know someone who has addiction issues or depression issues, that's a real thing, and to always make sure that they know you're there for 'em," he said. "We've gotta look after each other."
Last May, Morello posted a poem on his Instagram, honoring the life of Cornell, along with a picture with him and the rest of Audioslave. That week Morello had stated, in part, “I love you, brother. Thank you for your friendship and your humor and your intellect and your singular and unmatched talent.” Last month, he also posted a lengthy tribute, asking artists and fans to make two pledges following the deaths of Cornell and Bennington.
Hear the full interview with WRIF below.
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