Chris Cornell, lead singer of iconic grunge band Soundgarden and post-grunge also-ran Audioslave, died last night in Detroit at the age of 52; his death is being investigated as a suicide.
UPDATE: A medical examiner has ruled that Cornell killed himself by hanging.
Cornell possessed a singular voice that rode the line between classic-rock melody and angsty post-punk howl, and Soundgarden inspired a legion of dark, throbbing, complex-yet-catchy musical projects (including this writer’s first, fumbling steps toward creating “original” music). The idea that Cornell and the group will no longer show up as the single worthwhile act on some Midwestern hard-rock festival or touring package of aging FM-radio regulars is a depressing one indeed. — Scott Harrell
Review: Chris Cornell delivers an extended acoustic set at Mahaffey Theater — 10.30.15
See photos from Cornell’s last appearance in Tampa, where Soundgarden was marching towards a new LP, along with local reax from Bay area music makers and writers and video from his last performance, below.
Jason Kupfer, The Pauses
Tim Howe, humorist and songwriter
Leilani Polk, former music editor at CL Tampa, current digital managing editor at The Stranger
Jay Cridlin, pop culture critic at the Tampa Bay Times (read Jay’s obituary here)
Gabe Echazabal, CL Tampa’s resident rock historian
Wade Tangelo, former CL music editor, current entertainment editor at Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Joel Weiss, former music director at 97X WUSN
John Nowicki, songwriter
Michael Barrow, Zulu Wave/DAWNS
Frank Calcaterra, DieAlps!/Atomic Audio
