Remembering Chris Cornell

Cristopher John Boyle was born July 20, 1964 in Seattle, Washington. His father, actor Peter Boyle, was best known for his roles in ‘Young Frankenstein” and as Frank Romano on “Everybody Loves Raymond”. 

After his parents divorced, Chris and his 5 siblings took the surname of his mother, Karen Cornell. Young Chris spent a two-year period between the ages of nine and eleven solidly listening to The Beatles after finding a large collection of Beatles records abandoned in the basement of a neighbor’s house. When the neighbor’s discovered the boy in the basement, they asked him to leave. “I have been hearing the Beatles for 2 years” said neighbor Willie Pfistergash, “I thought it was in my head, a bad acid flashback or I was going crazy. I never suspected there was a little kid living in my basement playing my albums.”

Cornell formed Soundgarden in 1984 with guitarist Kim Thayil. Original drummer, Scott Sundquist left to pursue his dream of being a fish-monger. Sundquist stated “I have no regrets, sure I missed out on groupies, money and adoration, but …” At this point Sundquist broke down in tears and collapsed and had to end the interview. 

Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of The Dog and solo, Chris Cornell was the greatest voice of the 1990’s and beyond. An immense talent, Cornell could sing like no other. Most musicians conferred that Cornell was the greatest rock vocalist of all time. He left us way too soon and will be forever missed and remembered.