GLENDALE ”“ The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region will pay tribute to the late famed musician and songwriter, Chris Cornell at the ANCA-WR Annual Gala Banquet to be held on October 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. Cornell is also known for his philanthropic work with refugees and his commitment to raising awareness for the Armenian Genocide.
“With the tragic passing of Chris Cornell earlier this year, the world lost a highly influential and compassionate voice in the fight to uphold human rights and justice for all oppressed people who suffer at the hands of evil. The Armenian People in turn lost a genuine ally in its struggle for justice for the Armenian Genocide, but we are fortunate to have the final gift of his theme song for The Promise and all his efforts to promote this important film. For this reason, we deemed a tribute to Chris Cornell at our Annual Gala Banquet to be a fitting show of appreciation and gratitude for his groundbreaking work for the Armenian Cause,” remarked Nora Hovsepian, Chair of the ANCA-WR.
Known as one of the chief architects of the 1990’s grunge scene, Cornell was a talented songwriter with a passion for humanitarianism. Cornell was a talent beyond words, having received multiple Grammy Awards. Perhaps most recently known for his work on the motion picture, The Promise, Cornell wanted to fix the world one stanza at a time. Unfortunately, this song will be his last gift to the world, but one with a monumental legacy.
Cornell officially began his music career in 1984 when he formed the band SoundGarden. Cornell served as the band’s lead vocalist, and SoundGarden became the first grunge band to sign with a major label – A&M Records- in 1988. SoundGarden quickly became one of the most successful bands emerging from the Seattle grunge scene and went on to win two Grammy Awards.
Cornell was focusing on his second solo album when the newly-formed group, Audioslave recruited him. Cornell became the lead vocalist, where his talent was quickly established and was described as, “Sounding transcendent,”
