Trivia

Lead vocalist, songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the alt rock band Soundgarden (was originally the drummer before Matt Cameron joined and Cornell switched to vocals). Soundgarden was formed in 1984 and was the first Grunge band to sign with a major record label, A&M Records, releasing their first album, Louder Than Love, in 1989.

Wrote the song 'Wave Goodbye' about the death of his friend, musician 'Jeff Buckley'.

Was an avid reader who enjoyed books on philosophy and eastern culture. Counted Sylvia Plath among his favorite authors.

Wrote "Jesus Christ Pose" as a parody of Jane's Addiction singer / Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell. The song is a criticism of how public figures use religion (particularly the image of Jesus Christ) to portray themselves as being "better" than others, or as "martyrs". Perry Farrell had posed for a photo doing the "Jesus Christ Pose" lying in a bed for Exposure Magazine in 1989.

He dropped out of school due to his struggles with depression and almost never left the house.

He was a two-time Grammy winner, with a total of 14 nominations. Sold over 22.5 million records worldwide with his band Soundgarden; over 1 million copies of the album 'Temple of the Dog' in the United States; over 300,000 copies of his solo debut, Euphoria Morning, as well as earned a Grammy nomination. In 2002, his new band Audioslave sold 3 million copies of their self titled debut album in the U.S., and their three albums have sold a total of 8 million records worldwide. As of 2017, his entire catalog has sold over 30 million records worldwide.

Left Audioslave in 2007 due to growing differences between himself and the other band members. The other members of the band went on to reestablish Rage Against the Machine with their former vocalist Zack De La Rocha, while Cornell went back to his solo career.

Used to sign records and merchandise with the words "be nice to pets".

Enjoyed snowboarding and mountain biking in his leisure.

Shaved his head in 1993, and put his hair in a big envelope and mailed it to his then-wife Susan Silver. The fact that Cornell had shaved his head showed up in the entertainment part of TIME magazine, Cornell was disturbed by that.

Became a father for the first time at age 36, when daughter Lillian Jean Cornell-Silver (Lily Cornell Silver) was born on June 28, 2000 (7 lbs 12 oz). Her mother is Cornell's first wife and Soundgarden's manager, Susan Silver.

Used to be a cook. He worked at a seafood wholesaler and was a sous-chef at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle.

His first girlfriend stabbed him through the hand, for no particular reason.

Became a father for the second time at age 40, when his second wife, Vicky Cornell, gave birth to his second daughter (and the couple's first child), Toni Cornell, on September 18, 2004.

Used to wear a fork necklace that was given to him by Blind Melon's lead singer Shannon Hoon, who made it out of a fork he got in Denny's (a US fast food chain), on the first tour Blind Melon ever did, which was opening for Soundgarden. Cornell wore the necklace on the music video for Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun". After Hoon's death in 1995, Cornell stopped wearing the necklace. In a 2007 interview with Turkish journalist Servet Yilmaz, Cornell revealed that he had lost the necklace. He also used to wear a ring that belonged to Mother Love Bone's lead singer Andrew Wood.

Became a father for the third time at age 41, when wife Vicky Cornell gave birth to the couple's second child, a boy named Christopher Nicholas Cornell Christopher Cornell, on December 2005.

He had struggled with depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts since his teenage years.

Was considered the Godfather of Grunge.

Dropped out of school at age fifteen.

Gave Jim Carrey the guitar he used the night they both performed at the Saturday Night Live in 1996.

Owned a rock-themed restaurant in Paris called "Black Calavados".

Was friends with Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, with Alice in Chains's lead singer Layne Staley, with guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, with Blind Melon's lead singer Shannon Hoon, and Eleven's Natasha Shneider and Alain Johannes.

Lived in Seattle, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, Miami and New York. The latter was his last residence by the time of his death.

November 19th 2002: release of Audioslave's debut album.

Was one of the artists (with Audioslave) in 2003's revival of Lollapalooza, started by Perry Ferrell of Jane's Addiction, a touring festival of music and other exhibits. Cornell played on Lollapalooza with Soundgarden in the 90's.

Was considered for lead singer of Faith No More after Chuck Mosley left the band in 1988. Mike Patton joined the band instead.

Left Audioslave, citing "irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences" as the reason. (February 2007)

He died on the same day (May 18 - but 37 years later) and in the same manner (suicide by hanging) as Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division. Cornell was also lead singer of a rock band.

Used to ride a Harley Davidson FXR.

Taught himself how to play the guitar.

He began self-medicating with alcohol, LSD and prescription drugs at the age of twelve and used them regularly by thirteen before quitting to focus on music.

His maternal great-great-grandfather, Henry Robert Emmerson, was a Canadian lawyer, businessperson, politician, and philanthropist, who was Premier of New Brunswick, from 1897 to 1900.

His nickname used to be Frisbee - there was a "Chris A" and a "Chris B" (himself) in the restaurant where he worked, someone misheard "Chris B" and he was stuck with "Frisbee".

He has five siblings: older brothers Peter Cornell and Patrick, and younger sisters Katy Cornell, Suzy Cornell, and Maggie Cornell. Peter, Katy and Suzy all performed in the band Inflatable Soule in the 1990s. Peter Cornell was the frontman for the New York-based rock band Black Market Radio and released a new solo album, Champion, in 2014. Katy performs as lead vocalist for the Seattle band Into the Cold.

His ancestry included Norwegian, Irish, English, Scottish, Northern Irish, Welsh, German, French, and remote Manx and Swiss-German. Chris's maternal grandfather, Ralph Trivett Cornell, was born in Rothesay, Nova Scotia, Canada, to Julian Trivett Cornell and Emily Keillor Emmerson. Chris's maternal grandmother, Marion M. MacNutt, who was born in Washington state, was the daughter of a Canadian-born father, James Frederick MacNutt, and a Wisconsin-born mother, Clarabell Josephine Hubbell.

Was friends with Tom Morello, and Brad Pitt.