Dear Chris,
This letter is going to make me sound like a gigantic "fangirl"...because I am one.
Thanks for being cool enough to sign a CD for me and thanks for sharing an elevator ride that one time. I wish I would have engaged you in some kind of conversation instead of just standing there in awe. But it was just the two of us and you were literally one of the coolest dudes I'd ever met.
I was working in Seattle, a city that your music influenced me to move to, and you were visiting our rock station for a late night interview. A quick background: Your band Soundgarden had broken the year I started college and, like most 18-year-olds of that time, I was full of angst and trying to "find myself." Your music spoke to me. When I heard you were coming in for a visit, I tried so hard to stick around for a photo-op but I had to leave.
I left your CD with the DJ on duty and he promised to have you sign it.
The next day it was back in my box and signed by you. On the CD you had written "To Marcus...wish you were here." Me too man, me too. That CD is buried somewhere in my garage but that day will stay with me forever.
Fast-forward a few years and you came down to the radio station I was working at in SF to promote your solo album and I was determined to meet you. I was lucky enough (ok...I demanded) to be the one to escort you off the street up to the third floor for the interview. I remember the elevator door opening on the ground floor and you getting in, completely alone. No escort, no entourage, just me and you. The door closed and I pretty much couldn't breathe. I think I managed to blurt out "You're Chris, right? Because if not, I'm in a lot of trouble." You laughed hysterically (in my head). Actually, you probably were lamenting the fact that you were up and about that early in the morning and having to deal with corny jokes from DJs, but you smiled though it anyway. We rode in silence because that's how I roll when I'm losing my s#$!. There are only a couple of people that can freeze me up like that and you were totally one of them. I don't have a picture to share because the one we took was taken with my flip phone and I was shaking so much that it's blurry and completely unusable. I think it died on MySpace.
No CD, no photo. All I have is my memory. And it's dope. Thanks for the music, man, you were one-of-a-kind.
Say hello to heaven.
Marcus