SOUNDGARDEN Singer Remembers Touring With GUNS N' ROSES

During a recent interview with Vulture.com, singer Chris Cornell of reunited grunge legends SOUNDGARDEN was asked what he remembers most about opening for GUNS N' ROSES in 1991.

"Without saying anything negative about [GUNS N' ROSES frontman] Axl [Rose], what I remember the most was Duff [McKagan] and Slash and everyone else being regular, sweet, warm guys in a rock band that just wanted to play rock music," he said. "And then, like, there was this 'Wizard Of Oz' character behind the curtain that seemed to complicate what was the most ideal situation they could ever have been in: They were the most successful and famous rock band on the planet. Every single show, hundreds of thousands of fans just wanted to hear songs. For some reason there seemed to be this obstacle in just going out and participating in that. That is what I remember the most. It's sad."

Cornell also spoke about the addiction-related deaths that many people tend to associate with the Seattle grunge scene. "There’s something about losing friends, particularly young people, where it’s not something that you get over," he said. "I don’t believe there's a healing process. How do you, really? In what way can you stop and say, 'Well, it's god's will.' I always thought that line I've heard a million times — twice as bright but half as long — is bullshit. It's tragedy. I just carry all of that with me all the time. All I can do, if anything, out of respect for my friends that are no longer here, is to do my best to lead a good life and and take advantage of the fact that I'm still around, take the opportunities I have that they should've had."