DEATH OF CHRISH CORNELL

Crish Cornell (July 20, 1964-May 18, 2017)

Chris Cornell was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. Cornell was also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1991.

Cornell is considered one of the chief architects of the 1990s grunge movement, and is well known for his extensive catalog as a songwriter, his nearly four octave vocal range and his powerful vocal belting technique. He released four solo studio albums, Euphoria Morning, Carry On, Scream, Higher Truth and the live album Songbook.

Cornell suffered from depression and substance abuse problems. He died by suicide in his Detroit hotel room early on the morning of May 18, 2017, after performing at a Soundgarden concert the night before.


Cornell struggled with depression and had multiple addictions (mostly alcohol and prescription drugs), which he was able to manage from roughly 1980 until 1997, when Soundgarden broke up and his first marriage was falling.

Around 12:15 am on May 18, 2017, Cornell was found dead by his bodyguard in the bathroom of his room at the MGM Grand in Detroit after performing at a show with Soundgarden at the Fox Theatre on May 17. He was lying on the floor with an exercise band around his neck and blood in his mouth. An MGM medic and EMS personnel were unable to revive Cornell. Cornell was pronounced dead by a doctor at 1:30 am. Police ruled out homicide by reviewing hotel surveillance video, which showed nobody entering or exiting the suite after his bodyguard left around 11:35 pm. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging. Cornell was 52 years old. Footage of his final concert was posted on You Tube. Cornell's wife said "When we spoke after the show, I noticed he was slurring his words, he was different. When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him."

On June 2, 2017, the Wayne County Medical Examiner released its autopsy and toxicology report in the death of Cornell. The coroner confirming that the manner of death was suicide by hanging and that "drugs did not contribute" to the cause of death.