Remember When Zac Brown Band Teamed Up With Chris Cornell on ‘SNL’?
Chris Cornell's legacy impacted more than just rock music. The Soundgarden singer touched on several genres including country, once joining Zac Brown Band for a collaboration and even performing live with them on television.
Cornell worked with ZBB on a track titled "Heavy Is the Head," a hard-rocking track that appears on the group's experimental 2015 album Jekyll + Hyde. Sara Bareilles and Jewel also turned up for different collaborations on the album, but Cornell joined the group live during their March 7 appearance on Saturday Night Live, rocking 30 Rock with a dark, moody and aggressive performance that sounds more like Soundgarden than Zac Brown Band.
Take a look at the video above to see how surprisingly well Cornell and the country-rock band blended together for the performance.
Cornell went on to take part in ZBB's Southern Ground Festival in 2016, but his work with Zac Brown Band was not his only country connection; the rocker also performed at an Austin City Limits salute to Johnny Cash in 2012, appearing on a bill that included Kenny Chesney, Ronnie Dunn, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson and more.
Cornell died on May 17, 2017, at the age of 52 in his hotel after a Soundgarden concert in Detroit. No cause of death has yet been reported. According to the New York Times, a statement from a representative called the singer's death "sudden and unexpected."
Country stars including Jake Owen, Jennifer Nettles and Dan + Shay singer Dan Smyers turned to social media to share their reactions to the rocker's death.
Country Stars Mourn Chris Cornell