NY Times
This came out of nowhere. Heatt Failure perhaps?
edit: Some reports are saying that his death could have been a SUICIDE. I truly hope not.
Just 52, sheesh. About the same age as George Michael just a few months ago.
I guess I can just add.
1) I never was that much of a fan of Soundgarden, but I remember the cook at Southview Country Club who I would talk to about music in the kitchen in the mid 90's told me I might really like their album Superunknown. I never really checked it out, only knew "Black Hole Sun" etc. But among the Grunge bands, I probably could/should have liked Soundgarden the most. They have/had the biggest Led Zeppelin influence.
And his voice, while screechy/scrawny sounding if that makes any sense, actually wasn't bad. Much better than Cobain or even Eddie Vedder (or Layne Staley from Alice in Chains).
2) Of course I probably relayed the story once or twice in here, but I want to say it was at Record Store Day in 2010. Either 2009 or 2010 he showed up at The Electric Fetus. I saw him and just had to ask "Do You Know who Kevin Gilbert is?" and his reply was "Yeah, I do. So what?" Which I didn't exactly take to be all that polite, but whatevs.
3). His brother Peter Cornell is also a musician/singer and fronted the somewhat short-lived late 90's/early 2000's prog band from Nashville, TN? Somnambulist. For what that is worth, whether Chris Cornell would have ever cared to admit it, he did have some progressive rock ties in that way. And I guess Peter has released some of his own solo music since.
Somnambulist were actually scheduled to play at Nearfest in 2001? but canceled unfortunately.
At any case, this is sad to see. Chris was a friend, fan and big supporter of Jeff Buckley and his music, I noticed especially after he passed away. Chris and Brad Pitt basically. Odd and almost ironic too for me given like Prince I did sort of meet him, although among 100's of others at Record Store at the Electric Fetus, but it does weird me out a little bit about another brush with fame dies in as many years.
edit: Also Soundgarden were fans and friends-with of course King's X. Influenced by them, etc. Which I've said it many times, Soundgarden, AIC and especially Nirvana and Pearl Jam saw success where King's X did not unfortunately.