On behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, Vicky Cornell (Cornell’s widow) and the surviving members of Soundgarden — Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepard — have settled their lawsuit, which will allow the release of new music the band had been working prior to the singer’s death from suicide in 2017. A statement from both parties reads: “The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on. The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history — as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time.” Settlement terms were not disclosed.
In 2019, Cornell filed a lawsuit against the remaining members of the band and their manager over the rights to several unreleased Soundgarden songs, claiming the tracks entitled her to “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in royalties. Vicky Cornell claimed she was offered a “ludicrously low” buyout offer and called for the group’s holdings to be professionally audited. Later in a 2021 complaint, Cornell stated that she attempted to settle the matter by offering the surviving bandmembers first $4 million each for their collective interests in the Soundgarden partnership, and when that offer was declined, she offered $7 million each. The filing also claimed that the group had refused to share data regarding the partnership’s value. In response, the surviving bandmembers released a statement which read, in part, “This dispute has never been about money for the band. This is their life’s work and their legacy.” The case was finally settled earlier in 2021 as a judge ruled that there was no evidence to suggest that the band’s surviving members are withholding royalties from Cornell.
After splitting in 1997, Soundgarden reunited in 2010. The group toured regularly for the next seven years and released a comeback album, King Animal, in 2012. Last year, Vicky Cornell confirmed that the Cornell estate is planning on releasing a second volume of covers that Chris had recorded before his death; a release date is yet to be announced.
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