DETROIT (CBS SF/AP) – Rocker Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has died at age 52, according to his representative. Brian Bumbery, Cornell's representative, released a statement to NPR on the singer's death:



"Chris Cornell passed away late last night in Detroit, MI. In a statement to CNN, the band’s publicist, Brian Bumbery, called Cornell’s death “sudden and unexpected.”

“His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause,” reads the statement. “His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause,” the statement read. Rest In Peace.”

With his powerful, nearly four-octave vocal range, Cornell was one of the leading voices of the 1990s grunge movement with Soundgarden, which emerged as one of the biggest bands out of Seattle’s emerging music scene, joining the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. “They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”

Cornell, who was known for his dynamic vocals, which ranged from a soft melodic croon to a window-shattering scream, started his career with the cover band the Shemps, which also featured bassist Hiro Yamamoto and later, guitarist Kim Thayil. Reviewing a 2011 concert at the Prudential Center in Newark in The New York Times, Jon Pareles called Soundgarden “one reunited band that can pick up right where it left off.” In 2012, it released “King Animal,” its first album in 16 years, which Mr. Pareles said “sounds like four musicians live in a room, making music that clenches and unclenches like a fist.”

Mr. Cornell grew up in Seattle, the youngest of six children, and has said that he spent a lot of time in trouble as a child — he was kicked out of seventh grade once and eighth grade twice, he told Rolling Stone in a 1994 interview, and said that he struggled with drugs and then loneliness and depression. He also sang the theme song to the James Bond movie “Casino Royale” and released five solo albums

Soundgarden came back on stage in 2010 for festival performances and had recently started touring again.
Chris Cornell, the lead vocalist for the Seattle rock band Soundgarden, dies after a concert at the age of 52.