Chris Cornell

Christopher John Cornell was born July 20, 1964, and became the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist for Soundgarden, then Audioslave, wielding a nearly four-octave range and a belting technique that placed him on every greatest-singer list that mattered. He founded Temple of the Dog as a one-off tribute to his late friend Andrew Wood, released four solo albums between 1999 and 2015, earned a Golden Globe nomination for "The Keeper" from Machine Gun Preacher, and wrote the Casino Royale theme "You Know My Name" in 2006. He struggled with depression for most of his life. On May 18, 2017, an hour after performing at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, he was found dead in his hotel room - suicide by hanging. He sold 14.8 million albums and over 30 million records worldwide, won three Grammys from 18 nominations, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Soundgarden in 2025.