Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has responded to the band’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In an interview with Billboard, Thayil shares that in Soundgarden’s early days he “had an aversion to the idea” of the Rock Hall, but started to warm up to it after frontman Chris Cornell inducted Heart during the 2013 ceremony and seeing fellow grunge bands Nirvana and Pearl Jam get in.
“Chris lived the experience and said the enthusiasm of the fans was eye-opening for him, and understanding how important that was — and [drummer] Matt [Cameron] seconded it,” Thayil explains. “In so many ways the fans got some kind of validation by having a band that was important to their heart and that they championed get [the honor]. I know I felt that way about bands I believed in, whether the MC5 or the Ramones or KISS.”
Sadly, the late Cornell, who died in 2017, will not get to experience that enthusiasm for Soundgarden’s induction himself.
“I think he’d be very appreciative and thankful to all the people who have believed in him and believed in the work he did and the work that we all did, collectively.”
Cornell, Thayil and Cameron, who’s already in the Rock Hall as a member of Pearl Jam, will all be inducted together as Soundgarden, alongside classic lineup bassist Ben Shepherd and original bass player Hiro Yamamoto.
Regarding a potential performance during the induction ceremony, which takes place Nov. 8, Thayil says “some suggestions have come out.”
“I’m not prepared to share that,” Thayil says. “But I’ll just say it’s a higher bar than the usual composite of guitarists and drummers or singers.”
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