They got the Cornell stamp of approval.
Last week, Stephen Wilson Jr. and Eddie Vedder teamed up at Ohana Festival 2026 in California for a Temple of the Dog cover in “Hunger Strike.” Of course, Stephen Wilson Jr. has been referred to as “Death Cab for Country” since he draws inspiration from indie rock, grunge and obviously country music, so this was the perfect cover for his unique style.
“Hunger Strike” is the most successful track that Temple of the Dog ever released. That’s partly because the 90s rock band – led by the late, great Chris Cornell – only ever released one album together. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (prior to the actual forming of Pearl Jam) provided backing vocals for Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike.”
As the story goes, Cornell wrote the song but was having trouble singing lower portions of the chorus… specifically the “I’m going hungry” parts. A relatively unknown Vedder happened to be nearby, and stepped up to the challenge when Cornell asked for assistance. As they say, the rest is history, and “Hunger Strike” marks first time that Vedder’s vocals were ever featured on a recording.
They obviously did an incredible job with it, Stephen is so versatile and I imagine it was a dream come true to perform with Vedder:
And Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell, took notice. She was married to Chris from May 8th, 2004, until his death on May 18th, 2017, and they have two children together.
Vicky shared the performance on Chris’ official Instagram channel, sharing some very nice words about how touched she was by their performance. She called it “incredible,” saying it was more than a tribute and served as a “beautiful reminder” that Chris’ legacy continues on through new generations and current artists.
She thanked the duo for honoring his voice, artistry and spirit, and says her late husband would have been “incredibly proud” of what they did:
“Wow- watching this incredible performance of ‘Hunger Strike’ is more than a tribute. It is a beautiful reminder that the music, the friendship, as well as the lasting legacy that Chris left behind as his songs continue to touch new generations and are embraced by artists today.
Thank you Stephen and Eddie- you honored his voice, his artistry, and the spirit of Temple of the Dog with such love and respect. I know he would have been incredibly proud.”
The fact that she not only shared the video, but had such kind words to say about their performance, is very special and really above and beyond considering what an icon Chris Cornell is:
Wilson Jr. actually covered “Hunger Strike” on his Blankets EP, which features four songs that heavily impacted his childhood, and it included other songs like Nirvana’s “Something In The Way,” The Postal Service’s “Clark Gable” and The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight.”
Check it out:
“Hunger Strike”
