INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The amps were cranked up and the emotions were flowing at the Forum on Wednesday night as musical friends and big-name admirers paid tribute to the late rocker Chris Cornell. It was a vast show of affection that drew rock powerhouses (Metallica), pop stars (Miley Cyrus) and celebrities (Brad Pitt) to the Forum stage, 20 months after the Soundgarden singer-songwriter’s death at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel. The nearly five-hour “I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell” was at times reverent, often raucous, as Cornell’s sprawling body of work was celebrated for a capacity crowd that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Gene Simmons, Tom Hanks and Courteney Cox. With a fitting Seattle-esque rain outside, fans in the Forum were spoiled for choice in a loose-knit concert that saw one musician after another coming, going, and coming again throughout the show. “Chris is here with us tonight,” drummer and former Cornell band mate Matt Cameron said atop the show. “He has the best seat in the house.” Some memorable moments: Soundgarden’s surviving members reunite For the first time since that ill-fated night in Detroit in May 2017 — when Cornell was found dead of suicide by hanging — Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd performed together onstage publicly. (Thayil and Cameron were part of last year’s MC5 anniversary tour.) They closed Wednesday’s tribute show with an intense, eight-song Soundgarden set that included vocalists Taylor Momsen, country-rocker Brandi Carlile and an ever-affable Taylor Hawkins, while guitarists Wayne Kramer and Tom Morello joined up for the serpentine highlight “Loud Love.” Peter Frampton was a surprise guest, stepping out to trade solos with Thayil as Carlile led the crowd in a “Black Hole Sun” singalong to wrap up the long night. Ryan Adams makes it his own Few song interpretations Wednesday were rendered as deeply and fully as the pair by Adams. The mercurial singer-songwriter, joined by a string quartet and Don Was on upright bass, delivered an achingly gorgeous version of the Cornell solo number “Dead Wishes,” dedicated to Adams’ own recently deceased brother. And he peeled back “Fell on Black Days,” lacing it with elegant guitar work, to find the plaintive raw material at the heart of the Soundgarden hit. Miley Cyrus holds her own On a night that kicked off with a hot slab of Seattle rock by the grizzled vets of the Melvins, appearances by the likes of Miley Cyrus may have raised a few eyebrows in the Forum. But the chameleonic pop star has previously proven she knows how to invest in a song when needed, and she did it again at the Cornell show: Cyrus, who earlier Wednesday had shot down pregnancy rumors, hit the stage in a sparkly minidress to score with a rich acoustic cover of Cornell’s “Two Drink Minimum,” then returned to join Temple of the Dog for an impressive “Say Hello 2 Heaven.” Dave Grohl gets personal Having kicked off his four-song Foo Fighters segment with a barreling cover of Soundgarden’s “No Attention,” Dave Grohl eventually pulled things back to reflect on his late Seattle rock comrade. “I gotta be honest — I woke up a little sad this morning. I realized that with all this love, the one person who would have appreciated it can’t be here tonight,” Grohl said before delivering a poignant one-man rendition of the Foos’ “Everlong.” Temple of the Dog gets eclectic Cornell’s project with members of Pearl Jam was commemorated by a set with PJ’s Stone Gossard as ringmaster and Jeff Ament popping up on bass. Hopes of an Eddie Vedder cameo faded when Carlile and Chris Stapleton emerged to sing the ’92 hit “Hunger Strike,” but concertgoers did get Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall for “Hunted Down,” Fiona Apple on a blues-touched “All Night Thing” and R&B singer Miguel displaying his rock chops on “Reach Down.” Audioslave brings the guests (for better and worse) Fireworks-inducing guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk held the reins Wednesday for Cornell’s best-known 21st Century project, kicking off with a tough and taut “Cochice” — joined by Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) and Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction). Grohl and Metallica’s Robert Trujillo helped out with a fiery “Show Me How to Live,” while the versatile Brandi Carlile — three days after performing at Aretha Franklin’s tribute show — turned in a solid “Like a Stone.” Less fortunate was actress Juliette Lewis, who served up a flailing-haired clunker while attempting Audioslave’s “Be Yourself.” Metallica gives a mini-Metallica concert Introduced by comedian Jack Black doing his slaphappy-rocker shtick — he briefly joined James Hetfield on “One” — Metallica performed Soundgarden’s “All Your Lies” before launching into a lengthy twofer of the band’s own “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “Master of Puppets.” The metal giants steered back to Soundgarden to wrap things up — but had to call a do-over after a screwy start on “Head Injury.” Family ties Chris Cornell’s family was part of the show throughout, including a segment — introduced by Brad Pitt — featuring 14-year-old Toni Cornell teaming with Ziggy Marley for a poised cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Widow Vicky Cornell, who spearheaded the concert, announced that the show had generated more than $1 million for the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation and the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation. “It is so important to me that tonight would be an intimate gathering of our closest friends and family, shared with the fans who loved him so much," she said. "And it’s all come together to celebrate and honor Chris.” Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or bmccollum@freepress.com.<doc-sep>A host of musicians and bands paid tribute to the late Chris Cornell last night during a star-studded concert in LA – watch fan-shot footage of special performances by the likes of Soundgarden, Metallica, Ryan Adams and Foo Fighters below. ‘I Am The Highway’ was held yesterday (January 16) at The Forum, with the night having been billed as “an epic night of music, taking fans on an unforgettable journey through Chris’s legendary career and catalogue”. All proceeds from the show went towards The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation and The Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation. READ MORE: Chris Cornell statue unveiled in Seattle The event attracted a large number of artists, with the likes of Josh Homme, Ryan Adams, Fiona Apple, Miley Cyrus, Miguel and the Melvins all performing on the night. Dave Grohl joined Audioslave during their five-song set to perform ‘Show Me How to Live’, with the supergroup also welcoming guests such as Juliette Lewis and Perry Farrell during their on-stage stint. Advertisement Cornell’s band Soundgarden performed live for the first time since the frontman’s death in 2017. The band played through an eight-song setlist, welcoming the likes of Taylor Hawkins, Taylor Momsen and Tom Morello during their performance – watch them perform ‘Loud Love’ below. Soundgarden Loud Love with Taylor Momsen, Wayne Kramer and Tom Morello https://t.co/q7SfBvDxdU — Eddie Trunk (@EddieTrunk) January 17, 2019 Metallica covered Soundgarden’s ‘All Your Lies’ and ‘Head Injury’ during their short set, while also airing ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ and ‘Master of Puppets’. Tonight’s set from the #IAmTheHighway gig celebrating Chris Cornell including “All Your Lies” & “Head Injury” from @soundgarden’s Ultramega OK! We miss you, brother. pic.twitter.com/T491NaIJD3 — Metallica (@Metallica) January 17, 2019 The Foos, meanwhile, also covered Soundgarden as they took on ‘No Attention’. They later closed their set with ‘Everlong’. Advertisement Ryan Adams also performed on the night, playing two tracks including Cornell’s ‘Dead Wishes’. Ryan Adams performing “Dead Wishes” tonight at the “I Am the Highway” tribute concert for Chris Cornell. ?? pic.twitter.com/sipdvwYrUJ — ty stiklorius (@tystiklorius) January 17, 2019 Cornell’s widow Vicky paid a moving tribute to her husband during the concert. “We all know how music can change us, but Chris did something more extraordinary — he changed music and paved the way for so many from Seattle to across the globe,” she said [via Blabbermouth]. “And that legacy, and his influence, will live for generations to come. I am so proud that, along with his legacy, his philanthropic work continues to grow and flourish. “Chris would be so very proud. Simply put, to me, and because of all of you, Chris lives on, a music immortal whose passion for helping others is more alive today than ever.”<doc-sep>
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A five-hour tribute concert Wednesday in front of a sold-out crowd honored the career and catalog of the late Chris Cornell. The all-star lineup included members of Cornell’s former bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, as well as Metallica, Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Adam Levine, Brandi Carlile, Miguel, Chris Stapleton, Ryan Adams and Temple of the Dog. Jimmy Kimmel hosted most of the concert, called “I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell,” at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Cornell, a leader of the grunge movement, died at age 52 in May 2017. It was ruled a suicide. Cornell’s wife, Vickey, stepped onstage struggling to speak at first. After gathering herself, she spoke about her husband’s legacy: “Chris lives on, a music immortal whose passion for helping others is alive today ever.” “This event showcases his contribution to music history across genres and generations,” she said. “We all know how music can change us. But Chris did something more extraordinary. He changed music. … That legacy and influence will last for generations to come.” The concert helped raise funds for the Chris and Vickey Cornell Foundation and the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation. Brad Pitt introduced Cornell’s 14-year-old daughter, Toni Cornell, who sang while Ziggy Marley played the guitar as they performed his father’s song “Redemption Song.” The singer’s other daughter, Lily Cornell Silver, said her father had a “beautiful gift” as a musician. “The most influential advice he gave me was that his success didn’t come from a desire to have success. It was born from a passion and a love for what he did,” she said. Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello said Cornell “wrestled with demons” but made some of the “greatest rock-and-roll music of all-time.” “He proved that he could mix monster rock, rifts with smart lyrics and punk-rock attitude,” he said. “We are saddened that he’s gone. But the memory of his unbridled rock power, his chiseled chest and outrageously perfect hair, and most of all, his music lives on forever.” After Foo Fighters did three renditions of Cornell’s songs, lead singer Dave Grohl stayed on stage for a solo and performed “Everlong.” “I woke up sad this morning,” he said. “With all this love, the one person who would appreciate this the most can’t be here tonight. So this song is for him.” SETLIST The Melvins Kicking Machine With Your Heart Not Your Hands Leech Heart of Honey Spoonman Rita Wilson The Promise Nikka Costa and Alain Johannes Disappearing One Chris Stapleton The Keeper Foo Fighters No Attention Earache My Eye Girl You Want Everlong (acoustic, Dave Grohl solo) Josh Homme Rusty Cage Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Stone Gossard Seasons Miley Cyrus Two Drink Minimum Audioslave (Tom Morello and Brad Wilk) Cochise (with Perry Farrell) Be Yourself (with Juliette Lewis) Set It Off (with Tim Mcllrath) Like A Stone (with Brandi Carlile) Show Me How To Live (withDave Grohl) Toni Cornell and Ziggy Marley Redemption Song Jack Black and James Hetfield One Metallica All Your Lies For Whom The Bell Tolls Master of Puppets Head Injury Ryan Adams Dead Wishes Fell On Black Days Temple Of The Dog Preaching The End Of The World Can’t Change Me Hunted Down (with William DuVall) All Night Thing (with Fiona Apple) Reach Down (with Miguel) Say Hello 2 Heaven (with Miley Cyrus) Hunger Strike (with Brandi Carlile) Soundgarden Rusty Cage (with Taylor Momsen) Flower (with Marcus Durant) Outshined (with Marcus Durant) Drawing Flies (with Taylor Momsen) Loud Love (with Taylor Momsen) I Awake (with Taylor Hawkins) The Day I Tried To Live (with Taylor Hawkins) Black Hole Sun (with Brandi Carlile and Peter Frampton)