Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell died five years ago today. The grunge icon, whose unmistakable voice helped define the sound of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave, ...

In January 2019, the Cornell family staged a tribute concert featuring Metallica, Foo Fighters and Miley Cyrus, among many others. Soundgarden then announced in 2010 that they were reuniting, and a new album, King Animal, dropped in 2012. After releasing one more album, 1996’s Down on the Upside, Soundgarden broke up in 1997.

Five years after Cornell died by suicide on May 18, 2017, fans are still trying to understand why the "Black Hole Sun" singer suddenly fell into the darkest ...

And last month, Toni performed her dad’s cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” on “The Late Late Show With James Corden.” And even after the success of Soundgarden’s 1991 breakthrough “Badmotorfinger” catapulted him from the Seattle grunge scene to rock stardom, Cornell remained a bit of a loner at heart. And by the time a reunited Soundgarden went on tour in 2017, Cornell’s dark days seemed to be well behind him. After having a bad experience smoking PCP when he was 14, Cornell suffered from severe depression and panic disorder as a teenager. Five years after the “Black Hole Sun” singer’s death, fans are still trying to understand why Cornell suddenly fell into the darkest of places. Indeed, in a 2015 interview, Cornell said he planned on rocking well into his golden years: “I would look at older blues musicians who just keep going into their 70s.

Soundgarden and many others shared tributes for singer Chris Cornell to mark the fifth anniversary of his death on Wednesday.

Chris Cornell died five years ago today. We're looking back at the Soundgarden/Audioslave singer's incredible influence on music.

It’s in the hearts and minds of the millions of fans who turned to his words and melodies in times of trouble, in times of sorrow, and in times of self-doubt. Chris was always moving on to the next thing, and then the next thing, and the next thing. About four years ago, I was sitting with Kim Thayil backstage at the Metro in Chicago, talking about Cornell. He made the observation that “he didn’t carry a lot of things or materials or relationships within his life. And then he was gone. He had the natural tools, but it took him years of hard work and practice to realize his fullest capabilities. When Chris Cornell stepped to the microphone, everyone took notice. A self-described music nerd, who became one of the coolest figures in an industry where cool is the coin of the realm. A reclusive drummer, who moved from the rear of the stage to the very lip and then beyond, while transforming himself into the perfect idea of what a rock and roll frontman is supposed to look, sound, and act like. “He was a really good drummer,” Soundgarden’s guitarist Kim Thayil told me in 2018. The next morning, he was gone. The Showbox where they reunited in 2010 as Nudedragons is a few miles down the road, across from world-famous Pike’s Place Market. On 8th Ave., there’s the stately Paramount Theater which Soundgarden rocked in 1992 for their acclaimed “Motorvision” shows.

Soundgarden: "You have love. You have peace. You have eternity." Chris Cornell Fifth Anniversary of Passing Chris Cornell, photo by Eric Tra.

Thank you for loving him so much that through that love for Chris you have loved us too. In our lifetime everything has a last time- but in the moment, you never know it will be the last time — till you are looking back. Thankfully, the most recent development was somewhat positive, with Vicky relinquishing Soundgarden’s social media accounts and website back to the band last June. I’ve seen the quote “you never know when the last time will be the last time” and that rings way too true. To all of his fans — please know he loved you as much as you love him. The last time he’d wave goodbye to us from the car.

15-year-old Toni Cornell transformed the group's dark grunge classic into a haunting ballad. Buda Mendes/Getty Images. Soundgarden ...

You have eternity." "You have love. You have peace.

Chris Cornell passed away five years ago today, which has led to various tributes, most notably from his widow, Vicky, and Soundgarden.

Thank you for loving him so much that through that love for Chris you have loved us too. She added, “To all of his fans – please know he loved you as much as you love him. He loved receiving love from all of you.

In this classic 2014 interview, Cornell and Thayil break down the tones, tunings and ambition behind the album that made Soundgarden one of alternative ...

“The way we credit songwriting, we look at a song linearly – who came up with the verse, who came up with the chorus, that kind of thing. “Initially with that song, I felt that it didn’t really play to my strengths as a guitarist who was weaned on punk rock and metal. “So there definitely was a strong sense of community in Seattle back then, and you kind of got this sense that some people perhaps felt left behind or not included, and that’s where you experience some bitterness or resentment when you become successful. “But when I think about the work that bands like Tad and Mudhoney and Screaming Trees put into it, it would have been good for them to have some success, too. At one point we’re all in the same boat and we’re peers, and the next thing you know you’re playing different venues and dealing with a different level of success than the other bands. In a sense, Badmotorfinger was a definitive album in terms of the super-aggressive part of Soundgarden – the part that was developing over time. Everything else – the accolades, the awards – we held in regard but didn’t marry our- selves to that aspect of our work.” “So when Superunknown came out and became successful, we kind of felt that it was the fruits of our labor. Kim Thayil: “You know, if I look at songs, I like so many songs that were on other albums, perhaps even more than the ones on Superunknown. But if you look at the album as a collection of songs, it’s very strong. “With Superunknown, we were a band that was in need of reinvention by then. The age of the audience too – a new generation was maturing and was ready for a band like us. “Everything was changing at the time– radio was evolving and the perspective of the listening audience was changing.

Widow Vicky and Soundgarden release touching statements on five year anniversary of Chris Cornell's death.

In our lifetime everything has a last time - but in the moment, you never know it will be the last time - till you are looking back. Thank you for stepping up in the darkest of times & thank you for helping keep Chris’s memory and spirit alive- so keep playing it loud! Thank you for loving him so much that through that love for Chris you have loved us too. You have love. "To all of his fans - please know he loved you as much as you love him. The last time he’d wave goodbye to us from the car.