18 Quotes & Sayings By Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell (born Christopher John Boyle; May 18, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a successful solo career. Cornell was known as one of the most innovative and influential hard rock/metal vocalists of the 1990s Read more

His technical skill as a guitarist was unparalleled, earning him respect as a guitar player even from other guitarists. Cornell was also an accomplished songwriter. His lyrics were noted for their depth and emotional directness.

Cornell's vocal range spanned three octaves and a half, and he was known for his unique tone and style. Cornell had a contralto singing voice with heavy metal influence, but music writers have described his voice as "fearless", "screaming", and "shredding". Cornell was born in Seattle to parents who were musicians.

As a child, he taught himself how to play drums and started his first band with his younger brother Tim. In high school, Cornell attended Seattle's Roosevelt High School, where he met future Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. In his teens, he played in several bands including the grunge band TAD before joining Soundgarden in 1984 as their drummer.

After the band achieved moderate success with their debut album Ultramega OK (1988), they disbanded in 1990 due to internal strife over songwriting credits and recording methods. In 1991, Cornell formed Temple of the Dog as a side project with Cameron that lasted until 1994 when both parted ways acrimoniously. After Soundgarden reunited in 1997 for a final album and tour that year, the band broke up again due to complications from their previous break-up.

In 2002, Soundgarden reformed for another studio album and toured extensively until breaking up again in 2007 due to a dispute between Cornell and Cameron over musical direction, leaving Cameron as their only original member left from the 1990s era of the band. In 2010, after many years apart from his former bandmates in Soundgarden, Cornell reunited with them to perform at Lollapalooza along with Alice in Chains on August 3–5 of that year. On May 17, 2017, it was announced that Cornell had died by suicide at age 52 at his home in Detroit; some news outlets reported he had committed suicide by hanging himself while others reported it as an apparent suicide related to long-time health problems related to

1
Worried moon I'm afraid of what's to come Worried moon Yeah, tell me what you know Worried moon You see further down the road Worried moon Chris Cornell
2
Hip-hop kind of absorbed rock in terms of the attitude and the whole point of why rock was important music. Young people felt like rock music was theirs, from Elvis to the Beatles to the Ramones to Nirvana. This was theirs; it wasn't their parents'. I think hip-hop became the musical style that embraces that mentality. Chris Cornell
3
I wasn't good in school. I didn't do sports. I sat in the bedroom and listened to records. Because the Beatles did whatever they wanted to, I took that as a kid and said, 'That's what rock is.' Chris Cornell
4
I've always liked depressing music because a lot of times, listening to it when you're down can actually make you feel less depressed. Also, even though a person may have problems with depression, sometimes you can actually be kind of comfortable in that space because you know how to operate within it. Chris Cornell
5
When I was eight, my piano teacher played seven or eight notes, and I sang them. She stopped and looked at me in shock! That was the first time I'd gotten that reaction. I'd had looks of horror, but never shock in a positive way. Chris Cornell
6
I had kind of a mean piano teacher. I went to Catholic school, so it was like the typical thing you would imagine - a little kid with a white-haired teacher frowning at the fact that I didn't practice. Chris Cornell
7
I'm not a lyric writer to make statements. What I enjoy doing is making paintings with lyrics, creating colorful images. I think that's more what entertainment and music should be. Chris Cornell
8
I think Freddie Mercury is probably the best of all time in terms of a rock voice. There was a vulnerability to it, his technical ability was amazing, and so much of his personality would come out through his voice. I'm not even a guy to buy Queen records, really, and I still think he's one of the best. Chris Cornell
9
I think that one of the main privileges of what I do, which I am just starting to learn, is to have the ability to travel all over the world and experience different cultures. Chris Cornell
10
There's sadness to anyone that dies before their time, and specifically ones that seem to affect people in a positive way. It doesn't matter if it's Whitney Houston or a nameless, faceless person on the street. That's just as big of a tragedy for me. Chris Cornell
11
There's something about that blind trust between Timbaland and me - two people that have almost nothing in common except for a love of music - that is really rejuvenating. Chris Cornell
12
I came from a childhood where I spent a lot of time alone and a lot of time just living with my imagination, and a certain amount of the adult world was kind of alienating. Chris Cornell
13
'Black Hole Sun' was written in a car when I was driving home from the studio one night. Pretty much everything that you hear was written in my head. Chris Cornell
14
The sense of anger I had when I was younger is something I thought would never go away. Over time, it's something you get almost bored with. Chris Cornell
15
What's important is to get into shape and then not to have to worry about it. I don't want to get on stage and not being able to do something. Not being physically fit doesn't work for me. Chris Cornell
16
And if you don't believe the sun will rise, stand alone and greet the coming night in the last remaining light. Chris Cornell
17
As a child, I was this record collector/listener that would sit in a room and listen to the entire Beatles catalog alone, over and over and over again. Chris Cornell