Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell is hoping that it’s only a matter of time before the Seattle four-piece gets inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and once they do, he would like none-other that Kiss bassist Gene Simmons to be the group’s presenter.
During a recent HBO Q&A session, Cornell was asked to name who would he like to see as the band’s presenter if Soundgarden ever gets inducted. “I would hope it is a when, as opposed to an if,”frontman replied. “How about Gene Simmons?”
Another fan asked Cornell yet another Hall of Fame related question, this time around regarding the artists he would like to induct, apart from those he already did. The singer opted for songwriter Daniel Johnston, whose records he even considers as enjoyable as the work of rock giants Pink Floyd.
“I would induct Daniel Johnston,” Cornell said. “He is a songwriter who recorded a lot of music on a boom box and produced records where the budget was ultimately the price of a cassette tape. It occurred to me at one point that I got no less enjoyment out of listening to his records than I did from a Pink Floyd record, for example. That thought spoke to me as an absolute definition of what rock ‘n’ roll is really about.”
Finally, the frontman reflected on inducting Heart into the Hall of Fame at this year’s ceremony, calling it an “eye opening experience.”
“Inducting Heart into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame was an eye-opening experience. I was certainly honored, but had always had a cynical attitude about an institution like this as it pertains to Rock ‘n’ Roll in general. The fan support of all the bands inducted and their emotional enthusiasm changed everything for me.”
Cornell was recently named as the best modern-day rock vocalist by former Panterafrontman Phil Anselmo. As far as his work with Soundgarden goes, the group’s latest release, “King Animal,” dropped back in November 2012 as their first studio effort after returning from a 13-year hiatus in 2010. With 83,000 copies sold in US within the first week, it debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.