Chris Cornell photo by Jeff Kravitz
The sudden passing of Chris Cornell marks another ‘black day’ in the history of Rock and Roll. Now, we already have lost four of the five dubbed as the ‘Voices of a Generation’ in the 90’s. Chris Cornell was one of the greatest vocalists and most lyrically intelligent composers that have ever lived.
Chris Cornell now joins Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Scott Weiland on that list. Only Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam remains alive from that legendary group. All of these amazing artists’ voices provided the soundtrack for a generation to which I belong. It is so sad that one by one, they have died and at times, it is hard to comprehend this because all of them were truly one-of-a-kind artists.
One of the facts that amazes me the most about this legendary group of artists is that none of them ever took any voice lessons or had a vocal coach to teach them how to sing. Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Kurt Cobain and Scott Weiland were all naturally gifted in singing. They individually had their own method of singing and each one of them had very strong and unique vocal traits that neither one among them possessed. They may have stood out from each other in how they sounded individually as vocalists but most noteworthy is that, collectively, they embodied what would be the five major distinct vocal styles in rock that would be emulated years after they became household names.
Chris Cornell from Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave fame had been making music since the mid-80’s. In fact, it was his band Soundgarden that was the first band from Seattle to gain popularity throughout the other states in America. In many ways, Soundgarden essentially laid the groundwork for what would be the Grunge Movement a few years later that would become a worldwide music and cultural phenomenon.
When I got to read the confirmed reports that Chris Cornell had indeed passed away–and I will not go into detail here of the circumstances of his death–I was at first in a state of shock and denial, shaking my head, refusing to believe the breaking news that was coming in. I guess it was just a part of me that was scared. It would mean that another one of my Rock heroes would no longer be around that got me initially refusing to believe what had just happened because it felt so surreal as if it was a bad dream.
I know that it is an inevitable reality that everyone dies whether it be due to natural causes or not. But I still ask: Why did Chris Cornell’s life have to end this soon?
That feeling of aching pain when you lose an artist who was as supremely talented and musically gifted as Chris Cornell can never go away and it will never be “Okay.” It is because that huge gaping void that has been left behind already with the passing of Chris Cornell’s friends, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Scott Weiland has only gotten so much bigger with Chris Cornell’s passing to the point that all of us who were inspired and touched by the music of these legendary artists are now left wondering what to do now?
Of course, their songs will always be there for us to listen to… but listening to them is an almost painful exercise because it leaves an empty feeling inside knowing that they are no longer with us. Their permanent absence in this world is an extremely “bitter pill” to swallow and a reality we have to accept, sooner or later.
I am just one of the countless fans of Chris Cornell from all over the world who were so devastated upon learning of his death. In essence, even though we are countries apart, we all cried together and said our prayers for him. He will be sorely missed.
I do hope and pray that Chris Cornell will now know how much his music meant to all of us. However, I would like to believe that no man leaves this world without knowing the impact he has left on others.
For those of us who were already around when Soundgarden first came to prominence in the early 90’s and first got to hear the voice of Chris Cornell sing the now classic songs from his band, we are lucky and thankful that we experienced all of that growing up. Now we carry those precious memories we will forever cherish and keep in our hearts with those that we have of Layne Staley, Kurt Cobain, and Scott Weiland.
Thank you for the timeless music, Chris Cornell. We love you.
Long live Rock and Roll!