Frontman of Soundgarden, former frontman of Audioslave, and regarded solo artist Chris Cornell, who came to fame in the early 1990s, has died at age 52, according to his representative.
Cornell, who had been on tour, died Wednesday night in Detroit, Brian Bumbery said in a statement to The Associated Press.
Bumbery called the death “sudden and unexpected” and said his wife and family were shocked by it. The statement said the family would be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause and asked for privacy.
As the lead singer for Seattle-based Soundgarden, Cornell helped architect the 90s grunge rock movement. He was also a Grammy award-winning, Golden Globe-nominated singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer and lyricist.
In addition, Cornell became involved in philanthropy and started the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.
Below is one of Chris Cornell’s last performances just three weeks ago.
