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USPS recovers lost poster signed by Cornell

Chris Cornell plays guitar on stage
Chris Cornell of Soundgarden performs at a music festival in Jacksonville, FL, in April. Image: Associated Press

USPS recently tracked down a rare rock ’n’ roll memento that went missing in the mail: a poster autographed by the late Chris Cornell and other members of the grunge group Soundgarden.

An Arizona music memorabilia firm shipped the poster May 18, the day Cornell’s death was reported. A few weeks later, the company contacted Phoenix Complaints and Inquiry Clerk Yvonne Bradbury to report the item never reached its destination.

Scanning data revealed the parcel reached the Village Station Post Office in Los Angeles, where Bradbury contacted Customer Services Manager Edwin Mendoza.

He figured the package was in an area of the office reserved for parcels that aren’t deliverable on the first attempt. Bradbury waited on the phone while Customer Services Supervisor Elizabeth Ivey looked for the parcel.

Moments later, Mendoza got back on the line to report the package had been found.

“I think I screamed,” Bradbury said.

Mendoza and Ivey determined the parcel hadn’t been properly addressed, so they returned the package to the Arizona firm.

It was a bittersweet moment for Bradbury, who said she was “affected deeply” by Cornell’s death.

“I am so proud to have been a part of the team that found this treasure and had it returned safely,” she said.

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