We are sad to report that Chris Cornell, the vocalist for Soundgarden and Audioslave has died. He was 52 years old.
Medical officials in Wayne County, Michigan have stated the cause of death was suicide. Cornell was found dead in a Detroit hotel bathroom on Wednesday (Wednesday, 17 May) night.
His death has stunned the music world with tributes being made from musicians including former band mate Tom Morello, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan and more.
Born Christopher John Boyle on July 20th, 1964, Cornell formed Soundgarden in 1984. They split in 1997 due to internal tensions and creative differences. The band reformed in 2010, later releasing an album titled ‘King Animal’ in November 2012. Following their reunion, Soundgarden visited the UK several times including appearances at the Download and Hard Rock Calling festivals in the UK in 2012. A UK headline tour followed in September 2013. Their last UK show took place in July 4th, 2014 when the band supported Black Sabbath at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park.
Cornell was also known for his work with Audioslave. Joined by former Rage Against The Machine members, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, the quartet released three albums between 2002 and 2006 spawning several hits; ‘Like a Stone’, ‘Be Yourself’ and ‘Cochise’.
Cornell was also a member of Temple of the Dog. The band formed after the death of Cornell’s former roommate, Andrew Wood, the lead singer for fellow Seattle-based band, Mother Love Bone. Temple of the Dog saw Cornell be joined by Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron, who would all later become members of Pearl Jam. They would only releases one album, a self-titled effort in 1991 as a tribute to Andrew Wood. Last November, they reunited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the record by playing a handful of US dates.
Cornell also released several solo records, expanding musical range, taking in hard rock, electro-pop, and acoustic elements. His final album, ‘Higher Truth’, was released in September 2015. His last single, ‘The Promise’, was released in March of this year. Proceeds from the song are donated to International Rescue Committee, a charity that supports those in areas striken by humanitarian crises.
Everyone at Already Heard would like to send our condolences to Chris Cornell’s family, friends and fans.
Tributes
RIP Chris Cornell
Incredibly Talented
Incredibly Young
Incredibly Missed. pic.twitter.com/pKNI4tKiXz— Jimmy Page (@JimmyPage) May 18, 2017
Sad 2 hear of Chris Cornell passing..great singer and artist… another blow…RIP
— Billy Idol (@BillyIdol) May 18, 2017
RIP Chris Cornell. One of the most iconic and distinctive voices and a true talent. He will be greatly missed.
— Andy Biersack (@andyblack) May 18, 2017
RIP Chris Cornell. Truly sad for his children and family….and the rest of us. A good man. pic.twitter.com/bieTIsJhhw
— Duff McKagan (@DuffMcKagan) May 18, 2017
We lost one of the greats last night. One of best voices and front man of our generation. So terribly sad. RIP Chris Cornell.
— Billy Talent (@billytalentband) May 18, 2017
just saw chris cornell passed away, wow. i owe so much to him from what i’ve learned through audioslave, soundgarden, TOTD.
rest in power.— Cameron Boucher (@thecamboucher) May 18, 2017