Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell (born July 20, 1964) was an American rock musician from Seattle, best known as the frontman of Soundgarden, one of the pioneering bands of the grunge movement. With a powerful, wide-ranging voice capable of soaring falsetto and guttural roars, Cornell helped define the heavier, Black Sabbath-indebted sound that separated Seattle grunge from the punk scenes it grew out of, fronting Soundgarden through landmark albums that brought the genre to mainstream audiences.

After Soundgarden's 1997 breakup, Cornell forged a prolific solo and collaborative career. He fronted the supergroup Audioslave alongside former members of Rage Against the Machine, and released a series of solo albums that showcased a more stripped-down, introspective songwriting style, including acoustic and covers-oriented work. He also contributed to film music, most notably the James Bond theme «You Know My Name» for Casino Royale, and continued to explore diverse material ranging from soulful covers, such as his rendition of «Nothing Compares 2 U», to original songs like «Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart» and «Can’t Change Me».

Cornell reunited with Soundgarden in the 2010s and remained active as both a band member and solo artist until his death in 2017. Renowned for his vocal range and emotional intensity, he is remembered as one of the defining voices of the grunge era and a key architect of its transition into broader rock stardom.