SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell has paid tribute to legendary singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer Prince, who died unexpectedly on Thursday, April 21 at the age of 57 in his Minnesota home.

Cornell‘s stripped-down, stirring rendition of Prince‘s “Nothing Compares 2 U” can be streamed below. The track is one of several covers Cornell has incorporated into the sets of his extensive acoustic tour, which began last September.

Said Cornell: “Prince‘s music is the soundtrack to the soulful and beautiful universe he created, and we have all been privileged to be part of that amazing world.

“I performed his song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ for the first time a couple months ago. It has a timeless relevance for me and practically everyone I know.

“Sadly, now his own lyrics in this song could not be more relevant than at this moment, and I sing them now in reverence as I pay tribute to this unequaled artist who has given all of our lives so much inspiration and made the world so much more interesting.

“We will miss you, Prince!!!”

Reports of Prince‘s death began surfacing Thursday morning and were soon confirmed by his publicist. At press time, the death was being investigated and a cause of death had not yet been announced. The singer was said to be ill with the flu in recent weeks

Prince has won seven Grammy Awards, and he won an Oscar for the original song score to the classic film “Purple Rain”, in which he also starred.

He recorded some 39 studio albums, recording and touring prolifically even after a very public battle to get out of his major label contract threatened to derail his career.

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net