The one singer Eddie Van Halen always wanted to work with

When an artist reaches the level of fame that Eddie Van Halen achieved, it seems as though they have the freedom to collaborate with any musician of their choosing. Van Halen’s history of changing singers frequently may have posed a challenge, but the chance to collaborate with the guitar legend would undoubtedly be a dream come true for any musician. David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar were great fits for the band’s music. However, Eddie always had a strong desire to collaborate with Chris Cornell, even until his unfortunate passing.

It’s quite peculiar when you consider the overall significance of Soundgarden within the realm of rock and roll. It’s interesting to consider why Eddie would choose to collaborate with a band that played a role in overshadowing the LA rock scene. Especially since Van Halen is credited with pioneering the genre of hair metal.

Eddie Van Halen didn’t view the hair metal scene as particularly remarkable. He had a deep fascination for pure musical talent. The increasing number of imitators attempting to mimic his style started to grate on his nerves. If he couldn’t match their guitar skills, he would explore new sounds. Eventually, he incorporated the keyboard into songs such as ‘Jump‘ and ‘Love Walks In‘.

Cornell’s songwriting always had a consistent style. Soundgarden, known for their groove-based hard rock sound, could have ensured a comfortable income by continuing in that style. However, they chose not to. His curiosity led him to explore uncharted territories. This is likely why his initial solo album had a distinct acoustic Zeppelin vibe.

Cornell’s guitarist Pete Thorn reminisces about the deep mutual respect between Cornell and Eddie. He reveals that they had even discussed collaborating on a few songs. Their friendship dates back to the late ’90s and early 2000s, and Eddie had always expressed a desire to create music with Chris. He adored his voice and would often say, ‘Wow, I love it.’ We always discussed the idea of collaborating on a project.

At that point, Cornell had a new guitar hero to collaborate with in Audioslave. He replaced the wild sounds of Kim Thayil with Tom Morello’s extensive range of effects. Could it be argued that Morello’s effects and technical prowess wouldn’t have been as prominent if Eddie hadn’t paved the way?

The collaboration between Eddie Van Halen and Cornell on a song feels perfect. Eddie had already established himself as a top performer in his industry even before releasing his third record. However, Roth didn’t possess the same vocal range as Freddie Mercury. It would have been a win-win situation for everyone to hear Cornell’s powerful vocals complementing Eddie’s riffs.

Although their schedules occasionally overlapped, Chris Cornell’s tragic death in 2017 permanently eliminated any chance of their meeting. We only have the music that Eddie and Cornell left us before they passed away. If they had stayed in contact long enough to create a complete album, it would have been incredibly powerful.