Christopher John Cornell was an American singer and musician who is most remembered for his work as the main vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and principal lyricist and songwriter for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave.
Cornell passed away on May 18, 2017. Along with his solo work, he also provided music for several film soundtracks. A one-off tribute band to his late buddy Andrew Wood, Temple of the Dog, was founded by Cornell and features him as its leader.
Why did Chris Cornell change his last name?
On July 20, 1964, in Seattle, Washington, where he was raised, Christopher John Boyle was born. His parents are Karen Boyle (née Cornell), a self-described psychic accountant with a Jewish heritage, and Edward F. Boyle, an Irish Catholic pharmacist.
He and his siblings used his mother’s maiden name, Cornell, as their last name when their parents divorced when they were teenagers.
Cornell said The Beatles and Little Richard were his main musical inspirations. After discovering a sizable collection of Beatles albums left in the basement of a neighbour’s home when he was nine years old, he dedicated a two-year period between nine and eleven to listening to The Beatles exclusively.
