Eddie Vedder pays poignant tribute to Chris Cornell in London: ‘I will love him forever’

During the first of two sold-out solo shows at the Eventim Apollo, Eddie paused proceedings to speak publicly about the death of his “really close friend” for the first time.

Describing how he’s struggling to come to terms with Chris’s death and how he wants to be there for Chris’s family as well as “my band and the brothers in his band”, Eddie said the Soundgarden singer was “someone I looked up to like my older brother.”

Eddie then told the audience about how “fortunate” he was to have so many incredible memories of Chris: “I didn't want to be sad, wanted to be grateful not sad. I'm still thinking about those memories and I will live with those memories in my heart and I will...love him forever.”

Following the tribute, the entire venue erupted into applause and Chris was given a standing ovation.

No footage of the tribute has emerged as Eddie has a “performance etiquette policy” at his solo shows, which prohibits filming from ‘mobile devices, iPads, tablets or similar devices.’

A transcript of the speech has appeared on the official Pearl Jam fan forum, which you can read in its entirety here:

“Sometimes it's hard to concentrate these days. I was thinking about the history of this building and the Bowie history. So I started to think about that and my mind began to wander. It's not a good...

“So I haven't really been talking about some things and I kind of... now it feels like it's conspicuous because I lost a really close friend of mine, somebody who...(applause)
I'll say this too, I grew up as 4 boys, 4 brothers and I lost my brother 2 years ago tragically like that in an accident and after that and losing a few other people, I'm not good at it, meaning I'm not...I have not been willing to accept the reality and that's just how I'm dealing with it (applause starts)

“no, no, no, no

“So I want to be there for the family, be there for the community, be there for my brothers in my band, certainly the brothers in his band. But these things will take time but my friend is going to be gone forever and I will just have to...

“These things take time and I just want to send this out to everyone who was affected by it and they all back home and here appreciate it so deeply the support and the good thoughts of a man who was a ... you know he wasn't just a friend he was someone I looked up to like my older brother.

“About two days after the news, I think it was the second night we were sleeping in this little cabin near the water, a place he would've loved. And all these memories started coming in about 1:30am like woke me up. Like big memories, memories I would think about all the time. Like the memories were big muscles.

“And then I couldn't stop the memories. And trying to sleep it was like if the neighbours had the music playing and you couldn't stop it. But then it was fine because then it got into little memories. It just kept going and going and going. And I realised how lucky I was to have hours worth of...you know if each of these memories was quick and I had hours of them. How fortunate was I?! And I didn't want to be sad, wanted to be grateful not sad. I'm still thinking about those memories and I will live with those memories in my heart and I will...love him forever.”

(Applause and standing ovation)

Eddie played a sprawling 30-song set at the Eventim Apollo that featured guest musicians and covers of tracks by David Bowie, Neil Young, The Beatles, Cat Stevens and more. He plays a second show at the venue tonight (7th June).

The full setlist was as follows:

Walking the Cow (Daniel Johnston cover)
Trouble (Cat Stevens cover)
Sometimes (Pearl Jam song)
Thumbing My Way (Pearl Jam song)
I Am Mine (Pearl Jam song)
Can't Keep (Pearl Jam song)
Without You
Ukulele Anthem (Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra cover)
Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles cover) (with Red Limo String Quartet)
Far Behind
Setting Forth
Guaranteed
Long Nights (with Glen Hansard)
Rise
Better Man (Pearl Jam song)
I Am a Patriot (Little Steven cover)
Immortality (Pearl Jam song)
Lukin (Pearl Jam song)
Porch (Pearl Jam song)
Isn't It a Pity (George Harrison cover)
Wishlist (Pearl Jam song)
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (Pearl Jam song)
Forever Young (Bob Dylan cover)
Heroes (David Bowie cover) (with Red Limo String Quartet)
Just Breathe (Pearl Jam song) (with Red Limo String Quartet)
Song of Good Hope (Glen Hansard cover) (with Glen Hansard & Red Limo String Quartet)
Falling Slowly (The Swell Season cover) (with Glen Hansard & Red Limo String Quartet)
Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young cover) (with Dhani Harrison & Glen Hansard)
Hard Sun (Indio cover) (with Dhani Harrison & Glen Hansard)
Dream a Little Dream of Me (Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra cover)