Chris Cornell

Christopher John Boyle; (July 20, 1964 – May 17, 2017) better known by his stage name, Chris Cornell was an American singer. He is best known as the singer in the grunge band Soundgarden.
He started the band in 1984 with lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto.  Cornell is regarded as one of the greatest vocalists in rock history.

He released his debut album in September 1999,  Euphoria Morning. Later, in 2001, he began the supergroup Audioslave with the former members of Rage Against the Machine. Cornell recorded three albums as Audioslave's singer until the band's breakup in early 2007. His second solo album Carry On was released to mixed commercial success in June 2007.

Cornell was also a co-singer singer in a band, Temple of the Dog, with Eddie Vedder, that was formed as a tribute to a musician, Andrew Wood, who had died.

Cornell was found dead at his Detroit, Michigan hotel room shortly after performing at a concert on May 18, 2017 at the age of 52. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging.

 Personal life 
Cornell was born in Seattle to Ed Boyle and Karen Cornell. He was of European-American and European-Canadian descent. Cornell was first married to Susan Silver, the manager of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. They had a daughter, Lillian Jean, in June 2000. He and Silver divorced in 2004. In December 2008, Cornell said that he had finally won back his collection of 15 guitars after a four-year court battle with Silver.

He then married Vicky Karayiannis. She is a Greek-American publicist. She gave birth to his second daughter, Toni, in September 2004, and his third child, Christopher Nicholas, in December 2005.  Cornell converted to the Greek Orthodox Church because of her faith in the church.

 References 

Category:1964 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:American Eastern Orthodox Christians
Category:Musicians from Seattle
Category:Musicians who committed suicide
Category:Singers from Seattle
Category:Soundgarden
Category:Suicides by hanging in the United States
Category:Former Roman Catholics
Category:Interscope Records artists