“SAY HELLO TO HEAVEN …”
Chris Cornell – one of the founders of the 1990s grunge rock movement and arguably its most gifted, dynamic vocalist – died on Wednesday evening in Detroit, Michigan.
The 52-year-old frontman for rock bands Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog was found dead at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel. According to the Associated Press, police in Detroit are investigating Cornell’s death as a possible suicide due to what one spokesman referred to as “basic things observed at the scene.”
Cornell had performed with Soundgarden at the Fox Theater in Detroit earlier Wednesday evening. Eerily, the last song he performed onstage with his bandmates was a refrain of Led Zeppelin’s ‘In My Time of Dying’ – a gospel number also covered by Bob Dylan.
Soundgarden | 5.17.17 pic.twitter.com/uBC6rSXWg6
— Fox Theatre (@FoxTheatreDet) May 18, 2017
“RIP Chris Cornell. Incredibly Talented. Incredibly Young. Incredibly Missed,” Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page noted in response to Cornell’s passing.
Detroit police say Cornell’s body was discovered after his wife called a friend of the family and ask them to check on the singer. After forcing open the door to Cornell’s hotel room, the singer was found dead on the floor of his hotel bathroom.
“His wife, Vicky, and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause,” Cornell’s publicist said in a statement.
One of grunge rock’s pioneering acts, Cornell released six studio albums with Soundgarden – selling 12.5 million records in the United States and 25 million worldwide. He also released five solo albums and three albums with Audioslave, a band that included Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
He possessed a four-octave vocal range – one marked by its intensity and versatility. Readers of Guitar World magazine voted him “Rock’s Greatest Singer” in 2013, while Rolling Stone ranked him ninth on it’s list of “Best Lead Singers of All Time”
A Seattle native, Cornell was married twice. He is survived by a daughter from his first marriage and a son and a daughter from his second marriage.
UPDATE …
According to a statement released by the Wayne County (Michigan) medical examiner’s office, Cornell’s death has been ruled a “suicide by hanging.” The office added that a “full autopsy report has not yet been completed.”
The Space Needle will go dark from 9-10pm tonight in remembrance of @chriscornell. RIP. #noonesingslikeyouanymore https://t.co/D0XmOhTbkp
— Space Needle (@space_needle) May 18, 2017
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