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Chris Cornell Statue To Be Unveiled In Seattle

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 12:37 PST, Jul 21, 2018

A statue in honor of Chris Cornell is set to be unveiled at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle in late August. The life-size bronze sculpture was commissioned by the late Soundgarden and Audioslave lead singer’s wife, Vicky, and was created by Nick Marra, the artist who designed late Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin ‘s tombstone. Yelchin’s gravesite is located at the Hollywood Forever cemetery where Chris Cornell is also buried.

According to TMZ, Vicky Cornell discovered artist Nick Marra in an unusual way after she asked Yelchin’s mother about his tombstone when they were both visiting the gravesites of their late loved ones back in March. Marra told the celebrity gossip site that Vicky Cornell gave him a favorite photo of Chris doing a “rock god pose” for the statue. The artist used a 6-foot-3 family friend as a model for the body scan, then made a foam statue which he covered in oil-based clay and later bronzed. The statue cost about $200,000 to make.

Vicky Cornell announced the Chris Cornell tribute statue in a social media post on what would have been her husband’s 54th birthday, revealing that there will be a public ceremony next month to honor Cornell’s life and legacy. Of the amazing statue, Vicky wrote, “It is my family’s gift to MoPOP and Seattle.”

You can see Vicky Cornell’s post below.

The ceremony and statue reveal will take place in front of the museum’s gold south entrance on August 29, which faces 5th Avenue, Ultimate Classic Rock reports. In a press release statement about the statue, Vicky Cornell explained the importance of celebrating her husband, who died in May, 2017, at age 52, and honoring the city that gave the family so much.

“Even though Chris’ music touched the lives of millions around the world, there is no better place than Seattle to honor and celebrate both his contribution to music history, as well as Seattle’s unique place in popular music, with an enduring symbol of a beloved artist, father and husband. Our children and I are deeply moved by the continued outpouring of love, compassion, and support, and this is our gift to the Museum of Pop Culture and to Seattle — our gift back to the tight-knit community that gave him his start.”

The statue depicts Chris Cornell in a familiar pose, with his guitar and wearing his boots and dog tag. You can see a peek at the statue, courtesy of TMZ, below.

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