At the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, there was a moment that still sticks with anyone who remembers it. While Bon Jovi’s reunion grabbed the headlines, Ann Wilson and Jerry Cantrell gave a tribute that cut straight to the heart. Together, they honored Chris Cornell, a voice and a presence that shaped a generation. Watching them on stage, you could feel the weight of loss, the respect between musicians, and the lasting impact of Chris’s music. It wasn’t about flash or spectacle—it was about remembering someone who could never truly be replaced, and letting that memory live on through the voices of friends who never forgot.

Two local legends, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell and Ann Wilson of Heart, teamed up to honor the late Chris Cornell with a stripped-down performance of “Black Hole Sun.” The heartfelt tribute came during a night unofficially headlined by the reunion of inductees Bon Jovi’s heyday lineup. Wilson’s forceful take on the spectacularly gloomy tune was accompanied only by the Alice in Chains guitarist’s beautifully doleful strumming, the low-key setup lending added poignancy. It wasn’t Wilson’s first time saluting the late Soundgarden frontman by covering what is perhaps his most recognizable song, having performed the track on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after his death last year.

When Heart was inducted into the Cleveland rock shrine back in 2013, Cornell gave an induction speech recalling how in his early days seeing one of the Wilson sisters strolling out of a local studio inspired him to keep pushing at his music career. Cantrell also performed with Heart that night. Though both bands have been eligible for several years, neither Alice in Chains — who play KISW’s Pain in the Grass festival this summer — nor Soundgarden have made the cut.

While fan video of the performance has surfaced online, we’ll likely have to wait until HBO broadcasts the ceremony on May 5 for a higher quality version. Besides Bon Jovi, this year’s class included legendary singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone, the Cars, Dire Straits, the Moody Blues and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.