Chris Cornell Biography Quotes 16 Report mistakes

Early Life and Beginnings
Christopher John Cornell was born in Seattle, Washington, on July 20, 1964. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest during a period that would eventually shape an entire generation of rock music. As a teenager he gravitated toward drums and guitar, using music as an outlet while navigating periods of anxiety and depression. After his parents separated he adopted his mother's maiden name, becoming Chris Cornell. He supported himself with kitchen and labor jobs, while slowly finding a community of musicians in Seattle's small, close-knit scene.

Soundgarden and the Seattle Scene
Cornell first gained attention as a drummer and singer in a band called the Shemps, where he played with bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who introduced him to guitarist Kim Thayil. In 1984 the three formed Soundgarden, with Cornell initially handling both drums and vocals before the addition of drummer Scott Sundquist and, soon after, Matt Cameron. Early releases on Sub Pop, including the Screaming Life EP, positioned the band at the vanguard of what would be called grunge. After signing with A&M, Soundgarden issued Louder Than Love (1989) and then Badmotorfinger (1991), driven by Cornell's soaring baritone and Thayil's dissonant guitar work. Songs like Outshined and Rusty Cage showcased a muscular, odd-metered approach that set them apart. Badmotorfinger's momentum carried the group into the mainstream, as did their participation in a community that included friends and peers such as Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, and Eddie Vedder.

Temple of the Dog
In 1990, the death of Andrew Wood, the charismatic singer of Mother Love Bone and a close friend, prompted Cornell to write a set of tribute songs. He united with Gossard, Ament, Cameron, and guitarist Mike McCready to form Temple of the Dog. The self-titled 1991 album yielded Hunger Strike, a duet between Cornell and Vedder that became an anthem of communal grief and resilience. Temple of the Dog cemented Cornell's reputation as a vocalist who could convey vulnerability and power with uncommon range and clarity.

Breakthrough and Artistic Growth
Soundgarden's Superunknown (1994) marked the band's commercial and critical apex, produced with Michael Beinhorn and featuring King Animal-era rhythm partner Ben Shepherd on bass. Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, and Fell on Black Days revealed Cornell's breadth as a songwriter, mixing surreal imagery with deeply personal themes. The album won Grammy Awards and broadened the group's audience, even as the band maintained its experimental edge. Down on the Upside (1996) followed, expanding their palette. By 1997, after intense years of touring and recording, Soundgarden disbanded.

Solo Career
Cornell's first solo album, Euphoria Morning (later reissued as Euphoria Mourning) arrived in 1999, created with multi-instrumentalists Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider. The record, anchored by the single Can't Change Me, explored intricate arrangements and introspective lyrics. Over time he alternated between band projects and solo work: Carry On (2007) included You Know My Name, the theme for the James Bond film Casino Royale, co-written with composer David Arnold; Scream (2009), a collaboration with producer Timbaland, courted controversy among rock fans for its pop and electronic textures but underscored Cornell's restless curiosity. His Songbook tours and live album (2011) reframed his catalog in intimate, acoustic settings, highlighting the durability of his songwriting. Higher Truth (2015), recorded with Brendan O'Brien, blended folk, rock, and orchestral touches and yielded the single Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart.

Audioslave
In 2001, Cornell began working with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk, the instrumental core of Rage Against the Machine. As Audioslave they forged a widescreen hard rock sound shaped by Cornell's melodies and Morello's inventive guitar textures. Their debut, produced by Rick Rubin, included Cochise and Like a Stone, the latter becoming one of Cornell's signature vocal performances. Two more albums, Out of Exile (2005) and Revelations (2006), followed, with the band making history by performing an outdoor concert in Havana, Cuba, in 2005. After several years of success and heavy touring, Audioslave disbanded in 2007.

Return to Soundgarden
Cornell reunited with Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd in Soundgarden in 2010. The band toured, issued the compilation Telephantasm, and released King Animal (2012), their first studio album in over 15 years. The reunion affirmed the chemistry that had defined their earlier work while proving the group's relevance to a new generation. Around this period, Soundgarden contributed Live to Rise to the soundtrack of The Avengers (2012). Cornell also revisited Temple of the Dog for a 2016 anniversary tour with his lifelong friends from the Seattle scene.

Philanthropy and Advocacy
With his wife Vicky Karayiannis, Cornell established the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation in 2012 to support vulnerable children facing homelessness, poverty, and abuse. He used his platform to spotlight humanitarian issues, donating proceeds from The Promise (2017), a song written for the film of the same name about the Armenian genocide, to organizations including the International Rescue Committee. His charitable work reflected a consistent empathy visible in his lyrics and public statements.

Personal Life
Cornell married Susan Silver, who managed Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, in 1990; they had a daughter, and the marriage ended in 2004. Later that year he married Vicky Karayiannis, with whom he had a daughter and a son. Friends and collaborators such as Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, Tom Morello, Eddie Vedder, Alain Johannes, and Natasha Shneider were part of a broad circle that shaped his music and life. Cornell spoke candidly about struggles with addiction earlier in his career and about pursuing sobriety, framing mental health as a lifelong concern.

Final Years and Legacy
On May 18, 2017, shortly after a Soundgarden performance in Detroit, Michigan, Chris Cornell died at age 52. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. His family later raised concerns that prescription medication might have impaired his judgment, prompting broader discussion about treatment and mental health within the music community. Posthumously, Cornell's influence only widened; he was honored across genres, and in 2019 he received a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance for When Bad Does Good. His catalog, from Black Hole Sun and Say Hello 2 Heaven to Like a Stone and You Know My Name, continues to be celebrated for vocal virtuosity, emotional candor, and melodic invention. Johnny Cash's cover of Rusty Cage and countless reinterpretations of his songs testify to the durability of his writing. For peers like Thayil, Cameron, Shepherd, Morello, and Vedder, and for listeners worldwide, Cornell remains a singular voice of the modern rock era: a musician who bridged heaviness and fragility, continually pushed himself into new terrain, and left a body of work that resonates far beyond the time in which it was made.

Our collection contains 16 quotes who is written by Chris, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Music - Legacy & Remembrance - Loneliness - Quitting Job.

Other people realated to Chris: Mike McCready (Musician)