Metallica, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and more perform at Chris Cornell tribute show

The ‘I Am The Highway’ event in Los Angeles celebrated the life of the singer

Chris Cornell performing at Fort Rock Music Festival, Fort Myers, USA 18 days before his death (Rex Features)

A packed line-up of musicians took to the stage last night (16 January) to pay tribute to the late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell.

The concert, titled “I Am The Highway”, took place at the The Forum, LA, California and featured performances from the likes of Foo Fighters, Metallica, and the members of Soundgarden – who played live for the first time since Cornell’s death in 2017.

The show promised “an epic night of music, taking fans on an unforgettable journey through Chris’s legendary career and catalogue”. The proceeds of the event went towards The Chris and Vickey Cornell Foundation and The Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation.

Other artists who performed on the night, which stretched over five hours, included Queens of the Stone Age vocalist Josh Homme, Soundgarden’s Seattle compatriots The Melvins, Ryan Adams, Miguel and Miley Cyrus.

Audioslave – another Cornell outfit – were joined by Dave Grohl for a rendition of “Show Me How To Live”. The band were later joined by Perry Farrell and Juliette Lewis.

Soundgarden played through eight songs, welcoming a number of guests that included Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, The Pretty Reckless singer Taylor Momsen and Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Metallica covered Soundgarden’s “All Your Lies” and “Head Injury”, as well as playing their own classics “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and “Master of Puppets”. Foo Fighters covered “No Attention” before closing with their hit “Everlong”.

Chris Cornell’s wife Vickey also spoke in tribute of the singer: “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.

“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.”

Chris Cornell took his own life in May 2017. Soundgarden were pioneers of the Seattle grunge movement of the 1990s, recording classic records such as Badmotorfinger and Superunknown.