FILE
- In this Sept. 23, 2011, file photo, musician Chris Cornell is shown
in New York. According to his representative, rocker Chris Cornell, who
gained fame as the lead singer of Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has
died Wednesday night in Detroit at age 52. (AP Photo/John Carucci, File)
Rocker
Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands
Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has died at age 52, according to his
representative.Cornell, who
had been on tour, died Wednesday night in Detroit, Brian Bumbery said
in a statement to The Associated Press. Cornell had performed a Detroit
concert with Soundgarden that night.Bumbery
called the death "sudden and unexpected" and said his wife and family
were shocked by it. The statement said the family would be working
closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause and asked for
privacy.News
of Cornell's death prompted scores of tweets expressing sadness.
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry tweeted: "Very sad news about Chris
Cornell today. A sad loss of a great talent to the world, his friends
and family. Rest In Peace."With
his powerful, nearly four-octave vocal range, Cornell was one of the
leading voices of the 1990s grunge movement with Soundgarden, which
emerged as one of the biggest bands out of Seattle's emerging music
scene, joining the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains.Formed
in 1984 by Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto,
Soundgarden's third studio album, "Badmotorfinger," in 1991 spawned
popular singles "Jesus Christ Pose," ''Rusty Cage" and "Outshined" that
received regular play on alternative rock radio stations.Cornell
also collaborated with members of what would become Pearl Jam to form
Temple of the Dog, which produced a self-titled album in 1991 in tribute
to friend Andrew Wood, former frontman for Mother Love Bone.Three
years later, Soundgarden broke through on mainstream radio with the
album "Superunknown," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and
was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Record in 1995. It included hit
singles "Spoonman," ''Fell on Black Days," ''Black Hole Sun," ''My
Wave" and "The Day I Tried to Live."Soundgarden
disbanded in 1997 due to tensions in the band, and Cornell pursued a
solo career. In 2001, he joined Audioslave, a supergroup that included
former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim
Commerford. The band released three albums in six years and also
performed at a concert billed as Cuba's first outdoor rock concert by an
American band, though some Cuban artists have disputed that claim.Audioslave
disbanded in 2007, but Cornell and Soundgarden reunited in 2012 and
released the band's sixth studio album, "King Animal" in 2012.Cornell
also released four solo studio albums and a solo live album. He also
released the single "The Promise" in March on iTunes, with all proceeds
going to the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid,
relief, and development non-governmental organization.In
addition to his music, Cornell also became involved in philanthropy and
started the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children
facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.
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