Temple of the Dog was a one-album project conceived in 1990 to pay tribute to the late Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, who passed away due to a heroin overdose. Following Wood’s death, Mother Love Bone disbanded, but his former bandmates Jeff Ament (bass) and Stone Gossard (guitar) continued to collaborate. Before forming a new band, Ament and Gossard gathered Chris Cornell (vocals) and Matt Cameron (drums) from Soundgarden, along with then-unknown vocalist Eddie Vedder and guitarist Mike McCready to create Temple of the Dog.
Temple of the Dog recorded their self-titled album in 1990, releasing it on A&M Records by the end of the year. Initially receiving positive reviews, the album gained chart success in 1992 after the rise of Pearl Jam, a band formed by members of Temple of the Dog. Following the accomplishments of Pearl Jam, the re-released track ‘Hunger Strike’ featuring Vedder and Cornell climbed the charts, achieving platinum status within the same year.
For the next two decades, Temple of the Dog remained a unique project, with occasional appearances by Chris Cornell alongside Pearl Jam to perform ‘Hunger Strike’ live. In 2016, marking the 25th anniversary of their album, Temple of the Dog reissued it in a deluxe edition and embarked on their inaugural tour, showcasing their timeless music to new and old fans alike.