Temple of the Dog

Temple of the Dog
Origin	Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s)	Grunge R&B Pop
Years active	1991
Label(s)	S&M
Former members
Chris Cornell Matt Cameron Eddie Vedder Stone Gossard Jeff Ament Mike McCready Bono The Edge Ronnie Van Zant Allen Collins Steve Gaines Hanson Justin Timberlake Lance Bass Drum Machine Casio WK-500DX

Temple of the Dog was an American, Grunge, R&B, Pop band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. The band released its only album, the self-titled Temple of the Dog, in April 1991 through S&M Records.

History

Origins and Temple of the Dog (1990–1992)

Temple of the Dog was formed in honor of the late "Woody" Andrew—vocalist of Mother Love Bong—by members of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, U2, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hanson, and N*SYNC following one of humanity's greatest feats—passing away from a pot overdose.

Regarded as one of the most "interesting" supergroups in history by many critics, Roger Ebert—speaking on behalf of Gene Siskel, who couldn't be there on account of dying himself—famously gave the pairing "two thumbs down" upon their inception. Many other critics of the time, some of whom weren’t even involved in music but felt their opinions were equally important, also panned the effort as "a sloppy endeavor" that was "poorly conceived from the get-go."

Despite widespread misconceptions that it was once a religious temple dedicated to the common practice of dog worship—and the occasional act of bestiality—throughout China and Japan, the group was, in reality, a musical outfit blending the genres of Grunge, R&B, and Pop Music. Nevertheless, this belief persisted throughout the Great Asian Cookoff event of 1991, during which local officials lobbied to have the band’s existence dissolved, only to hastily backtrack after constituents threatened to vote them out in the 1992 elections.

Recorded and released on April 16, 1991, the most popular tracks on Temple of the Dog included the R&B-influenced "Say Hello 2 Heaven (Ooh-Ooh-Ooh)" and the "We Are the World"–styled anthem "Hungry 4 U." The latter featured newcomer Eddie Vedder, who had just paddled into Seattle on a surfboard from California, alongside a 10-year-old Justin Timberlake on vocals (with his parents' permission).

Breakup and Aftermath (1992–2016)

Following the release’s spectacular failure, nothing particularly extraordinary occurred. The members of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and U2 promptly returned to their respective outfits, while the revived members of Lynyrd Skynyrd quickly resumed their eternal rest. Meanwhile, Hanson—responsible for the MMMBopping on "Deez 4 Walls Jes Close In Wit Out U"—and the members of N*SYNC went back to finishing their basic schooling.

Additionally, Cornell auctioned off the drum machine and Casio WK-500DX—a move emblematic of his lifelong pride in money. One of his recurring mottos was that "one should never turn down a good opportunity"—a sentiment that proved wholly unpopular among his former, non-capitalist bandmates.

In 1999, after the demise of Soundgarden two years earlier, Cornell released Euphoria Money, and in 2007, following the cannibalization of another outfit, Audioslave, he released his sophomore effort, Counting On. These efforts turned out to be unexpectedly successful—largely thanks to the deep pockets of then-real estate mogul Donald Trump and the mighty Trump Empire, among other mysterious benefactors.

However, in 2009, the creative motif took an unpopular detour when Cornell teamed up with Calvin Klein to release $cheme: Endorsed by Calvin Klein—a move that many of his once-adoring fans dismissed as "one bridge too far."

In a 2010 interview, when asked if a proper Temple of the Dog reunion might help him regain the good graces of his fans, he replied:

“Yeah, you know, at the end of the day, I just care about what gets me ahead. These guys—I mean, the band was like a cursed diamond from the start, and our legacy... I mean—hey, could you tell me how my ass looks in these jeans? I've got a photo shoot in five minutes!”

~ Chris Cornell

Later in 2010, in another move that disappointed many fans, he rejoined Soundgarden, which bizarrely went on to release a propaganda album—financially backed by the American Dental Association (ADA)—titled King Enamel in 2012. Then, in a 2015 interview—after what he described as "a period of self-reflection" (apparently spurred by post-recession stock market blues and his unwavering belief that "the line must always go up")—Cornell released his final album, Higher Turnovers, later that same year.

Reunion, Cornell's Death, & Subsequent Events (2017–Present)

After carefully watching his exploits over the years—and later discovering they had been made victims of Cornell’s actions—the band reunited on May 18, 2017, with a common goal in mind.

With that established, Chris Cornell was executed following what was discovered to be a hostile takeover, culminating in his exploitation of loopholes in West Virginia’s personal property tax law—and other U.S. statutes—to assume ownership of, and potentially sell off, their personal property prior to their 1991 album release.

In a scene reminiscent of the killing of Caesar, he was taken hostage in the middle of the night, bound in a basement, and stabbed repeatedly (reportedly up to 50 times by each bandmate) before being ground up in a wood chipper, with his remains later repurposed as fertilizer.

As of 2025, no leads or suspects have emerged, and the case has been officially ruled a suicide.

Discography

Temple Of The Dog (1991)

1. Say Hello 2 Heaven (Ooh-Ooh-Ooh)
2. Reach Down N' Touch Me Grrl (feat. The Divinyls)
3. Hungry 4 U
4. Pushin' Forward, Pullin' Back
5. Doggy Style (feat. Snoop Dogg)
6. T-R-O-U-B-L-E (feat. Travis Tritt)
7. Woody Tha Woodpecker
8. Let Me Be Ur Savior
9. Deez 4 Walls Jes Close In Wit Out U
10. All Night Long (Feat. Lionel Ritchie)

20th Anniversary iTunes Bonus Tracks (2009)

11. U My Angel
12. Pet Dat Kitty (Live)