Chris Cornell Memorial Statue To Be Built in Seattle
Almost three months after his shocking death, plans have been announced for a statue of Chris Cornell to be built in his hometown of Seattle, Wash. The singer's widow Vicky has revealed the details behind the memorial in an e-mail to The Seattle Times.
The statue will be built by sculptor Wayne Toth, who created the memorial to Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone in 2004, which stands by the late-guitarist's grave at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, Calif., the same resting place as Cornell.
“[Toth] has already given me a design and the children and I love it,” Vicky Cornell says of the statue, which will take about seven months to build. “He is Seattle’s son. And we will be bringing him home and honoring him, I hope, with all of you, your love and support.”
While a location for the memorial has yet to be decided upon, Cornell family friend and attorney Mark Johnson is working with the city to determine where it would be best suited to be erected.
Elsewhere in here e-mail, Vicky Cornell also disclosed that $100,000 would be donated to the Chris Cornell Music Therapy Program at the Seattle nonprofit Childhaven. The organization provides care to children who are abused, neglected and chemically affected, and teaches parents how to care for and nurture their kids.
“Chris was always interested in protecting traumatized children who had suffered physical or psychological abuse,” she says. “He always felt music was a way to heal even neurological and emotional conditions. His promise was to help the most vulnerable children. My vow now is to keep his promise, and what better way to honor Chris and his hometown than by creating a music program to help these babies heal.”
“I have no doubt that helping others, while at the same time fulfilling Chris’ mission, will help us heal,” adds Vicky, who had two children with Cornell. “I know Chris will be proud.”
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