Jim Carrey Inducts Soundgarden Into Rock Hall

Soundgarden have officially been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025. Actor Jim Carrey was onstage to give the induction speech while surviving members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Hiro Yamamoto and Ben Shepherd accepted the honor and delivered speeches of their own.

The grunge legends first became eligible for nomination back in 2013 — 25 years after their first release, as the rules state — and received three nominations in total ahead of this year’s enshrinement.

Sadly, the induction comes posthumously for singer Chris Cornell, who died in 2017 while touring with Soundgarden.

While Soundgarden’s estimated global sales total (about 30 million albums sold) pales in comparison to many of the Rock Hall’s inductees, it underscores the band’s brilliance and their multi-generational influence. The grunge label is steadfastly applied to the group, however, their ability to merge pulse-pounding riffs and grooves with poignant, moody moments and deeply pensive lyrics make them a clear standout among their peers.

Joining the members of Soundgarden onstage at the Rock Hall were Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) and Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) on “Rusty Cage” followed by Brandi Carlile and Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) on “Black Hole Sun.”

What Jim Carrey Said In Soundgarden’s Induction Speech

The acting legend did not disappoint with an animated speech about his connection to Soundgarden and the band’s remarkable history and contributions to music.

Spank you kindly. Spank you all.

When the biggest rock stars in the world get together to celebrate each other and let loose, things get wild. Don’t forget to schedule your glutathione drips.

Tonight, I have the honor of inducting Soundgarden into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

You may ask, “Why would Soundgarden—the heaviest of rock and roll royalty—want Jim Carrey to induct them into the Hall of Fame? Is there some deep, cosmic connection between us? Or was the Spoonman not available?”

The truth is, I grew up inspired by the hard rock era. Every day, I’d spend hours in front of a floodlight in my basement, playing power chords on a goalie stick.

When the Seattle music scene exploded, it resurrected rock and roll for me. Bands like Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and of course, Nirvana, were raw, honest and reaching for something profound.

Soundgarden wasn’t just part of the movement — they helped start it. Guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Hiro Yamamoto and singer/drummer Chris Cornell were experimenting with a fusion of hard rock, punk, metal and psychedelia that created intricate, powerful soundscapes.

Coupled with Chris’s incredible vocal range, their music could make your heart pound one moment and break the next. When I first heard Soundgarden, I wasn’t just excited — I wanted to put on a flannel shirt and run into the street screaming, “My mother smoked during pregnancy!”

They rose from Seattle bars to worldwide superstardom without fear or compromise. They trusted themselves completely, and trusted their fans to come along for the ride, wherever it led.

Their fourth studio album, Superunknown, changed everything—featuring incredible songs like “Spoonman,” “Fell on Black Days,” and their magnum opus, “Black Hole Sun.”

That track was the ultimate example of Chris Cornell’s songwriting genius. It felt like he had given us access to an apocalyptic dream he was having. His presence was deeply authentic. When you looked into his eyes, it was like eternity was staring back.

I used to talk to him like this: “Hi, Chris. How you doing? Me? Great, never better. Please look away. Probe no further.”

I met the band in 1996, when I hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time. I insisted that Soundgarden be the musical guest. By then, the lineup was Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron on drums and Ben Shepherd on bass.

During rehearsal, they launched into the dark, epic beauty of “Pretty Noose.” I stood right in front of them, letting the waves of electricity wash over me like an audio baptism. They pushed me under, and when I came up, I was free.

After the show, they handed me one of my most prized possessions: the Fender Telecaster that Chris played on the show—signed by the whole band. Do we have a picture of that? Oh, it’s behind me. Damn — snuck up on me. Pay no attention to the burn marks on the pick guard. Someone backstage was playing with matches.

Later that night, Chris showed up at my hotel room with an acoustic guitar and a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and we wrote some songs. Okay, maybe I dreamt that part — but I’ll never forget that night.

I got to hang with Chris a few times after that. He was always sincere, down to earth, thoughtful, and funny.

When the band split in 1997, Chris went on to make amazing music on his own and with Audioslave. Kim, Matt and Ben continued to blaze their own musical paths. But Soundgarden wasn’t done — they reunited in 2010 and gave us a second act of new music and live shows that were as vital as ever.

Sadly, on a shocking night in 2017, Chris left us. We lost a monumental musical artist and a deeply special soul. But for all time, his voice will continue to light up the ether like a Tesla coil.

Tonight, we make sure that Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd go down as one of the most majestic, powerful and influential bands ever to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Long live Chris Cornell, and long live Soundgarden.

What Soundgarden Said in Their Acceptance Speeches

The members of Soundgarden took turns giving speeches at the conclusion of their performance, which was preceded by a speech from Chris Cornell’s daughter Lillian, who thanked everyone for their support of her father’s music.

Here’s what Soundgarden said, one at a time.

Hiro Yamamoto:

Chris Cornell, we are missing you tonight on this stage. We all love you and we would not be here without you. Somewhere out there, Chris, we’re talking to you.

I’ll continue, but let’s remember Chris — we wouldn’t be here without him.

To my wife, Kate — every moment with you is special. Love to you and great love to my children, Joji and Yoshi.

Thanks to my parents, whose story as American citizens who were rounded up and placed into prison camps just for being Japanese during World War II affected my life greatly. It echoes strongly today. Let’s not add another story like this to our history. We can do better than this. It’s up to us to take the power back and keep the dialogue alive — because that’s what we need.

We wouldn’t be here without the support of so many people — our family, friends, and everyone who helped us directly or indirectly. To all the bands we’ve played and shared stages with, their crews, and everyone involved, thank you. And the biggest thanks to the fans. We’ve heard so many stories about how the music we created became your own, and that’s the greatest recognition of all.

To everyone else out there — especially all you brown kids — let’s rock.

Thank you.

Matt Cameron:

I’d like to thank my wife, April, our children, Raymond and Josie Cameron, Susan Silver, Kelly Curtis, Jon Poneman, Bruce Pavitt, Greg Ginn, Chuck Bukowski, Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss, Jimmy Page, Al CaFaro, Jim Guerno, Al Marx, Rick Schaffer, Scott Casey, Jerome Crooks, Eric Johnson, Stuart Halderman, Jack Endino, Terry Date, Michael Beinhorn, Adam Casper, Brendan O’Brien, Joe Parisi, Mark Cunningham, Corin Capshaw, Jill Berliner, Nate Cassino, Neil Hunt, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, The Melvins, The Wipers, Alice In Chains and the countless bands and fellow musicians we had the pleasure of interacting with in the ’80s and ’90s.

I accept this honor on behalf of the fans of our music — and also the misfits, loners, and introverts who found comfort and solace in the lyrics and music of my hero and bandmate, Chris Cornell. I love you, Chris.

Kim Thayil:

I’d like to thank the Hall for this recognition in honor of our decades-long career. I want to thank our fans for over 40 years of enduring loyalty and support. Collectively, I’d like to thank Sub Pop, SST and A&M Universal Records. Thanks to Red Light Management and their Seattle offices, Silver Management, our legal team and business management.

Thanks to our touring crew and backline and to all our recording engineers and co-producers. Matt took care of a great list of individuals, and yes — all of them too.

I want to thank my partner, Jenni, and our dog, Evie. I especially want to thank my immigrant parents for encouraging my curiosity in science and the arts and for instilling values that I also found in Hiro, another son of immigrants, as well as in Ben, Matt, and Chris.

Shoutout to Scott Sundquist and Jason Everman. Together, we built a culture of encouragement and creative risk that nurtured our curiosity and collective spirit. If one of us ever hesitated to share an idea, Chris would be the first to say, “Let’s just try it out and see.”

I miss him, I love him, and I love all my Soundgarden brothers.

Ben Shepherd:

Keep it short, right? Hi, Mom.

“Ǧungida barigo mabét.” That’s a three-letter word meaning, “We’re side by side. Let’s go forward. There’s a lot of work to do.”

Love you all.