RIP Chris Cornell

The lead singer of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave has died at 52:

Chris Cornell, lead singer of American hard rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, has died aged 52. In a statement to the Associated Press, his representative, Brian Bumbery, said Cornell died on Wednesday night in Detroit.

Bumbery called the death “sudden and unexpected” and said his wife and family were shocked. The statement said the family would be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause, and asked for privacy.

Cornell had been touring with Soundgarden, and was tweeting upbeat messages about a sold-out concert the band played in Detroit just hours before his death.

I never met him, but our band was scheduled to play on the second stage after Temple of the Dog at the Chicago Lollapalooza in 1992. Our singer got lost, so we didn’t play, but it was a great day for music in the sun, with Soundgarden and Pearl Jam playing the main stage prior to Ministry and the Chili Peppers.

But when I think of Chris Cornell and Soundgarden, I think mostly of playing Road Rash on the 3DO. What a perfect soundtrack for that game!