was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. Cornell was also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1991, and as the founder and frontman for Temple of the Dog. Cornell is considered one of the chief architects of the 1990s grunge movement, and is well known for his extensive catalog as a songwriter, his nearly four-octave vocal range, and his powerful vocal belting technique.
Around 12:15 a.m. on May 18, 2017, Cornell was found dead by his bodyguard in the bathroom of his hotel room at the MGM Grand in Detroit, after performing at a show with Soundgarden at the Fox Theatre on May 17. He was lying on the floor with an exercise band around his neck and blood in his mouth. Police ruled out homicide by reviewing hotel surveillance video, which showed nobody entering or exiting the suite after his bodyguard left around 11:35 p.m. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging. According to his wife Vicky Cornell, Chris was "groggy and just kept saying, 'I am just tired,' and hung up the phone." These were his last known words.