Chris Cornell Flashcards
Who was Chris Cornell?
Christopher John Cornell, an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for leading rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, as well as his solo career, contributions to movie soundtracks, and founding Temple of the Dog, struggled with depression throughout his life. Despite being regarded as one of the greatest rock singers, winning three Grammy Awards, and achieving substantial commercial success, Cornell tragically died by suicide by hanging on May 18, 2017.
What was Chris Cornell’s songwriting style?
Cornell cited Paul McCartney, XTC, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Ultravox, and Bauhaus as some of the artists he liked. Cornell’s songwriting often features non-standard chord progressions and melodies that do not conform with one diatonic scale. A prominent example is “Black Hole Sun”, which not only involves many kinds of open chords and several key changes in short sequences, but also unique melody phrases with large-interval jumps. A recurrent characteristic is his use of major-only chord sequences (“Pretty Noose”), which also leads to more subtle key changes. Cornell’s most concentrated example of his own songwriting style remains on his first solo album Euphoria Morning, as his subsequent works, whether with Audioslave or on his later solo albums, tend toward the conventional and only occasionally contain short but inventive interludes.
What is a music interlude?
In many popular songs, an interlude is an instrumental passage that comes between sections of lyrics in a song, like between a verse, the part of the lyrics that tell the story, and a chorus, the repeated passage that reinforces the song’s main idea.
What made Chris Cornell’s vocal style so unique?
Cornell was a baritone, with a vocal range of “nearly” four octaves (from C2 to A5). He had the ability to sing extremely high in the tenor range, as well as in the lower register of a baritone voice. He showcased this in various songs, most notably the studio and the demo versions of “Beyond the Wheel”, where he can be heard spanning three octaves. He also experimented with various different vocal styles, ranging from light falsetto, to high falsetto screams, and chants. In addition to singing rock and metal mainly with Soundgarden and Audioslave, Cornell sang the blues, neo-soul and stripped-down acoustic numbers. The New York Times music critic Jon Pareles wrote, “As it rose, higher and higher, Mr. Cornell’s voice could sustain a melody through the fray, or it could confront hard-rock turbulence with grunts, rasps, wails, bitter moans and, at the top of his range, full-bodied shrieks that admitted no weakness.”
What is the baritone voice type?
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek βαρύτονος, meaning “heavy sounding”.
What was Chris Cornell’s personal life like?
Christopher John Cornell, known for his role in bands like Soundgarden and Audioslave, had significant relationships including a marriage to Susan Silver, with whom he had a daughter, Lillian Jean, and a later marriage to Vicky Karayiannis, resulting in two children, Toni and Christopher Nicholas. Cornell was also deeply affected by the death of his friend Andrew Wood, leading to the creation of the Temple of the Dog tribute album, and he shared a close friendship with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.
How did Chris Cornell struggle with substance abuse?
He battled depression and addiction, facing a severe crisis in 1997 after Soundgarden disbanded and his first marriage struggled. He turned to substances like OxyContin but eventually sought rehabilitation in 2002, quitting drinking and smoking around 2005. Despite his public discussion of mental health struggles and his efforts to raise awareness, Cornell tragically died by suicide on May 18, 2017, with Ativan being cited as a contributing factor in a dispute between his widow and insurance lawyer. His struggles with depression, isolation, and suicidal thoughts were evident throughout his life, and his death prompted his brother to advocate for depression awareness and suicide prevention.
What is Chris Cornell’s Legacy?
Axl Rose, Ronnie James Dio, Eddie Vedder, Scott Stapp, Alice Cooper, Vernon Reid, and Jeff Ament, among others, praised Chris Cornell’s vocal prowess and songwriting abilities, hailing him as one of the greatest voices in rock, with his death leading to a significant surge in sales and streams of his discography, culminating in the acquisition of 100% of his song rights by Hipgnosis Songs Fund in 2020.
What were Chris Cornell’s solo studio albums?
- Euphoria Morning (1999)
- Carry On (2007)
- Scream (2009)
- Higher Truth (2015)
- No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1 (2020)
What were the details of Chris Cornell’s final studio album?
No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1 is the fifth studio album by Chris Cornell, released posthumously without prior announcement by his estate and Universal Music Enterprises, on December 11, 2020. It consists of ten covers sequenced and recorded by Cornell in 2016, including Harry Nilsson’s “Jump into the Fire”, John Lennon’s “Watching the Wheels”, and Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”. The album was preceded by Cornell’s cover of Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience”, released as a single on July 20, 2020, in honor of his 56th birthday.
What were the Soundgarden studio albums?
- Ultramega OK (1988)
- Louder Than Love (1989)
- Badmotorfinger (1991)
- Superunknown (1994)
- Down on the Upside (1996)
- King Animal (2012)
What was the lone Temple of the Dog studio album?
- Temple of the Dog (1991)
What were the audioslave studio albums?
- Audioslave (2002)
- Out of Exile (2005)
- Revelations (2006)
