Chris Cornell, who first gained fame as the lead singer of Soundgarden and later the band Audioslave, passed away Wednesday night in Detroit, a rep for the singer told the Associated Press.
He was 52.
Cornell’s rep, Brian Bumbery, called the singer’s passing “sudden and unexpected.” The rocker was currently on tour and the rep said his family was shocked by his passing.
Soundgarden was at the forefront of the 90s grunge music scene that rose out of Seattle. Their hits included “Spoonman,” ”Fell on Black Days,” ”Black Hole Sun,” “My Wave” and “The Day I Tried to Live.”
The band was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and won two in 1995.
After Soundgarden broke up in 1997, he performed solo for a few years before joining Audioslave, a supergroup that included former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford.
Soundgarden reunited in 2012 and released the band’s sixth studio album, “King Animal.”