Heart Delivers A Stunning ‘Black Hole Sun’ Tribute to Soundgarden

Heart paid homage to Soundgarden’s recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction during their Sunday night performance, delivering a stirring cover of “Black Hole Sun” in front of their hometown audience. The moment unfolded at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, where the band also dedicated “Magic Man” to Michael Fisher, an early Heart collaborator who passed away in August.

Fan-filmed footage of the tribute has since surfaced online, capturing the emotional salute to one of Seattle’s most influential rock exports.

A Hollywood Induction With Seattle Spirit

Soundgarden were formally welcomed into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this month in Los Angeles. The band was inducted by actor Jim Carrey, who first met them in 1996 while hosting Saturday Night Live and insisted they appear as the musical guests.

“I stood right in front of them, letting the waves of electricity wash over me, like an audio baptism,” Carrey said during his speech. “They pushed me under and when I came up I was free.”

The ceremony also featured a heartfelt moment from Toni Cornell, the daughter of late frontman Chris Cornell. She performed “Fell on Black Days” with Heart’s Nancy Wilson accompanying her on guitar, drawing one of the evening’s most emotional responses.

A Collective Tribute From Seattle’s Finest

A star-studded ensemble closed out the Soundgarden segment with performances of “Rusty Cage” and “Black Hole Sun.” The lineup featured Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Brandi Carlile, and other musicians closely connected to the Seattle music community — a fitting salute to the scene Soundgarden helped define.

Before the induction, guitarist Kim Thayil reflected on why being honored by fellow Seattle artists mattered so deeply. “To have our peers, friends, and creative collaborators from [Seattle] share that with us is very important,” he said. “We’re not simply ‘rock guys’ in this band, Soundgarden. We’re rock guys in this band, Soundgarden, that helped establish the Seattle scene and the sound. The geography is very important to our identity. It’s where we are, it’s where we came from. It’s who we are.”

A Legacy That Continues to Echo in Seattle

Thayil’s comments resonate even more in light of Heart’s tribute, underscoring how intertwined these musicians remain with their city’s musical fabric. Seattle’s rock community has always operated less like a collection of separate bands and more like an extended creative family — one shaped by shared stages, shared history, and shared loss.

Heart’s performance served as a reminder of how deeply Soundgarden’s music continues to ripple through the region. Even as the Rock Hall recognition brings national attention, the most meaningful honors often come from those who stood alongside them from the beginning. In Seattle, Soundgarden aren’t just Hall of Famers — they’re part of a lineage that helped shape the city’s identity, and their influence continues to resonate every time one of their songs fills the room.