Vicky Cornell Sues Soundgarden Over Unpaid Royalties, Unreleased Recordings

Vicky Cornell, the widow of the late Chris Cornell has a contemptuous relationship with the other members of Soundgarden. Recently things have taken a turn which has made the relationship even more difficult.

According to UCR, via TMZ, Chris Cornell’s widow is seeking “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in allegedly unpaid royalties from the rest of the band. She claims the dues are “indisputably owed” to the late frontman’s estate.

As part of this new lawsuit, She is challenging the rights to seven unreleased  Chris Cornell recordings, made before his death in 2017. Vicky Cornell believes the surviving members of Soundgarden are withholding royalties to try to “strong-arm Chris’ Estate into turning over” the recordings in question.

These are most likely the demo recordings that Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has referred to in many recent interviews when discussing the possibility of releasing a Soundgarden album that was supposedly in the making when the singer died.

In one of the interviews last July, Thayil said they had tried to get started on the project two years ago, but without the demos that Cornell had been working on it proved impossible:

“We have copies of them, but what we need are the files, so that we’d be able to overdub and finish the record. We are not in possession of those.”

Vicky Cornell’s lawyer states that the recordings in question are “solely authored by Chris; contain Chris’ own vocal tracks; and was bequeathed to Chris’ Estate,” despite the band’s claims that the recordings were made as part of a collaborative Soundgarden project.

The widow has also accused Soundgarden of engaging in “pressure tactics, harassment, unlawful conversion of royalties, and extortion.” The full complaint can be read via Pitchfork.

Vicky expressed her resolve over the issue, “This was not the way I would have chosen to move forward. But I will not be pushed aside for someone else’s convenience or gain. I will not sacrifice our children’s futures for someone else’s greed…

“And I will not let someone else make me feel shame because the man I loved was taken from all of us too soon,” she wrote. “I will do justice by my husband’s work and memory; for our children and for everything we stood for.”

 

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I have been taking time these past few weeks to be grateful for all the good people around me and for those who have lifted me up at the very worst times in my life. The silver lining, during the storm, is finding and appreciating the subtle glow of those who sincerely support you in your life unconditionally. However, sometimes while you grieve the one you physically lost, you realize that you must now grieve the loss of some of those you considered friends and family as well. I am shocked at how often this occurs. It’s not just me, or the rock-star widow, or the political widow; it is the case for the vast majority of women after their partners have passed. It transcends socio-economic class, race, and religion. It is an unpleasant and unfortunately all too common theme. Hard-hearted family members, friends, and business associates; who will exploit a widow’s vulnerability when she’s broken and alone. These other people who have decided that her time is up as well. Through support groups and other widowed friends, and during both difficult and supportive conversations, I have learned that I am not a unique case. This seems to be the inevitable plight of the widow in this world and I cannot help feeling angry, sad and betrayed. I will not be bullied or shamed into silence. I will not accept something so wrong, so lacking in compassion or decency, even with the clear but unspoken threat of social rejection hanging over me. This was not the way I would have chosen to move forward. But I will not be pushed aside for someone else’s convenience or gain. I will not sacrifice our children’s futures for someone else’s greed. And I will not let someone else make me feel shame because the man I loved was taken from all of us too soon. I will do justice by my husband’s work and memory; for our children and for everything we stood for. I want to thank everyone who has stood by Chris and has supported us through this devastating time. Your love and your kindness will never be forgotten. #chriscornell forever 🖤

A post shared by Vicky Cornell (@vickycornell) on Dec 9, 2019 at 6:01am PST