Serj Tankian Joins Audioslave Members for “Like A Stone” in Tribute to Chris Cornell

Rock Im Park, which took place to concurrently with and in proximity to the briefly-evacuated/postponed Rock Im Ring, played host to one of the most memorable Chris Cornell tributes yet. Serj Tankian of System of a Down, who played at Rock Im Ring, joined members of Audioslave (though it came during a Prophets of Rage set) for a performance of “Like A Stone.” The song, which is from Audioslave’s self-titled 2002 debut, is one of the most memorable in the supergroup’s catalog. While the song suffers from song mixing issues during the first verse, Tankian’s unmistakable vocals make a strong impact on the classic rock radio hit. Watch the performance below:

Cornell tragically died on the night of May 18 in what has been ruled as suicide. Despite the toxicology report showing that the late singer was using a cocktail of prescription drugs on the night of his death, the cause of death remains suicide.

Adding to the shocking nature of Cornell’s death, Tankian was one of the first to come forward with a story about how seemingly normal the musician was in the weeks and days before his death. In a tweet issued the day after his death, Tankian recalled spending time with Cornell at Elton John’s birthday party, talking about family life and future musical plans. Cornell’s family is adamant that his death was a reaction to taking too many prescription drugs after so many years of being sober.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat