Chris Cornell - Bio, Net Worth, Height | Famous Births Deaths

ORIGIN Chris Cornell was a Grammy-winning American singer and songwriter. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and co-founder of the rock band Soundgarden. He also served as the lead singer and songwriter for the rock supergroup, Audioslave. His solo albums include Euphoria Morning (1999), Scream (2009), and Higher Truth (2015). Cornell was born Christopher John Boyle on July 20, 1964, in Seattle, Washington. His father, Ed Boyle, was a pharmacist, and his mother, Karen, worked as an accountant. He had five siblings, Peter, Patrick, Katy, Suzy, and Maggie. Cornell attended Christ the King School followed by Shorewood High School. He worked several years at a Seattle seafood wholesaler prior to music.

CAREER Cornell drew early inspiration from the English rock band, The Beatles. He started his own journey as a member of the cover band ‘The Shemps’ in the early 1980s. Cornell later joined forces with bassist Hiro Yamamoto and guitarist Kim Thayil to form the rock band ‘Soundgarden’. A fourth member, Matt Cameron, eventually joined as a drummer. The band was active from 1984-1997. They reunited in 2010. Soundgarden’s debut studio album, Ultramega OK, was released in 1988 by SST Records. They followed up with, Louder Than Love, in 1989. Their fourth album, Superunknown, was released in 1994 by A&M Records. It sold over 5 million units and was certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA. The album won 2 Grammy Awards and features such singles as “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman”. Other albums include Badmotorfinger (1991) and Down on the Upside (1996).

Cornell’s solo debut, Euphoria Morning, was released in 1999 by Interscope Records. It was led by the single “Can’t Change Me”. Cornell and Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk formed the rock supergroup ‘Audioslave’ in 2001. They released three successful albums, Audioslave (2002), Out of Exile (2005), and Revelations (2006). The group disbanded shortly after their third album. Cornell’s second solo album, Carry On, was released in 2007. It featured the Grammy-nominated single “You Know My Name”. The song was featured in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006) starring Daniel Craig. Cornell’s other solo albums are Scream (2009), Songbook (2011), and Higher Truth (2015).

PERSONAL Chris Cornell died on May 17, 2017, at the age of 52. His reported cause of death was suicide by hanging. He was found dead in his room at the MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit, Michigan. He was on tour with the Soundgarden. Cornell was 6ft 2in and he was of Irish, English, and Scottish descent. His net worth was estimated at $40 million prior to his death. Cornell was married to his first wife ‘Susan Silver’ from 1990 to 2004. She was the manager of the rock bands ‘Alice in Chains’ and ‘Soundgarden’. They had a daughter named Lillian Jean. Cornell’s second wife was publicist ‘Vicky Karayiannis’. They were married from 2004 until his death in 2017. They had two children, Toni, and Christopher Nicholas.

Chris Cornell Bio, Net Worth, Height