Chris Cornell’s widow shares clip of ‘Fast Car’ cover as tribute to his 60th birthday

Chris Cornell’s widow Vicky shared a clip of the late singer covering Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” on the occasion of the Soundgarden frontman’s 60th birthday.

• READ MORE: Chris Cornell songs: The best from the Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman

Yesterday (July 20), Vicky Cornell shared on Instagram a clip of Cornell’s cover of Chapman’s 1988 hit, along with a montage of spontaneous videos of him over the years and a written tribute.

“Chris would have turned 60 today. While everyone who loved him is sad that he is no longer here, it is all of you, the fans who shaped him, whose love keeps his legacy alive. I am so grateful to all of you for that,” Vicky wrote.

She continued: “While I remember him best as the wonderful husband, father and human being he was, I want to celebrate his entire life and all he gave us. On his 60th birthday, we can all celebrate his genius as an artist who redefined music, but also as the incredible man who touched and changed lives.”

Vicky also teased that the song could be officially released, writing: “He is an icon and has given us all so much – his unique voice, his poetry, his creativity… his life was a gift to so many. And as you can hear – there’s more to come!!!”

She added: “I’m sharing this to thank you all for your love and support and to celebrate together. We love you Chris – happy birthday!”

In 2021, the estate of Chris Cornell released No One Sings Like You Anymore: Volume One, a collection of cover songs handpicked and compiled by the late Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman to honor artists and songs that inspired him.

At the time, Vicky revealed that there was still a lot of music in the archive and that the release of a second volume was planned.

The first edition of “No One Sings Like You Anymore” was recorded in 2016 – a year before Cornell’s death – and features interpretations of songs by John Lennon, Prince, Harry Nilsson, Janis Joplin and others.

It also included a cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience,” which gave Cornell his first solo number one hit on the Billboard charts.

As of November last year, a dispute between Soundgarden and Cornell’s estate was still ongoing. In early 2023, the band and Vicky announced that they had settled their long-running legal dispute and would release the band’s final recordings. They released a joint statement saying they had “reached an amicable out-of-court settlement.”

It continued: “The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties that will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs the band and Chris have been working on.”

As a guest on The Vinyl Guide In a live podcast in November, Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron revealed that the band is still dealing with Cornell’s estate and that the chances of the band releasing the final songs with him are slim.

“We’re still in the middle of a dispute with the estate,” he said. “Right now, everything is on hold. Right now, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen next year. Hopefully soon. I’m not giving up hope.”

In February, Chapman’s “Fast Car” saw a 241 percent increase in streams following her Grammy performance with country singer Luke Combs. Combs had given the track a modern comeback after releasing a cover version in 2023.