Chris Cornell Remembered by ‘Singles’ Director Cameron Crowe

2017-09-20

Photo by Ken Settle / Story by Anne Erickson

Grunge-era film ‘Singles’ just turned 25 years old

The grunge-era movie “Singles” arrived in theaters September 18, 1992, making this week the 25 years mark for the film. “Singles” was set in Seattle during the height of the grunge scene, and the flick featured music from Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Chris Cornell.

In a new Rolling Stone piece in celebration of the anniversary, director Cameron Crowe reflected on his experience working with Cornell, who passed away by suicide in May of this year.

“Chris Cornell was somebody who I just thought, ‘This guy belongs in the movie,'” Crowe stated. “I loved Soundgarden — they were the greatest live show I’d seen. I had real strong feelings about Soundgarden and about Chris with this huge heart of his.”

“He was accepting Eddie (Vedder) into Seattle and he was helping me know what it was to live here, at this time and this place — that feeling of, this guy really matters to this city,” Crowe continued.

At first, Crowe was hoping to cast Cornell in the role of “lead singer” Cliff Poncier. Matt Dillon ended up with the role, but Cornell made a cameo in the movie playing himself.

“I thought, maybe we can have the best of all worlds,” Crowe wrote. “Chris can be a character who plays, and we don’t have to make him play a wannabe musician. We can just have him be Chris.”

Cornell and Crowe remained close right until the Soundgarden vocalist died this year.

“For any of us lucky enough to know him or experience his gift, there’s no past tense,” Crowe said of Cornell. “He’s that vivid of a guy. I can’t talk about him in the past. I talk about him in the present and I always will.”

Photo credit: Ken Settle

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Alternative, Grunge, Music, Rock, Rock News

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