Chris Cornell Cremated Ahead Of Funeral Service On Friday, Fans Will Be Able To Pay Last Respects
Chris Cornell’s remains were cremated at a private ceremony held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Tuesday. The cremation was performed ahead of a private funeral service on Friday when his ashes will be buried in the same cemetery.
The cremation ceremony was attended by his wife, Vicky, his brother, Peter, other members of his family, and friends, including Linda Ramone, and J.D. King, according to TMZ.
TMZ also reported that sources close to the family said Cornell’s fans would be able to visit the burial site at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery after the private funeral service on Friday.
The 52-year-old Soundgarden star was found dead on the floor with “a band around his neck” inside his Detroit hotel bathroom last Wednesday, after a performance in the city, the Daily Beast reported. A medical examiner ruled on Thursday that he committed suicide by hanging in his hotel room.
However, members of his family expressed shock, saying he was never suicidal. His wife, Vicky, said she never observed signs of depression or preoccupation with thoughts about self-harm when she spoke with him before, during, and after his sold-out concert at the Fox Theater in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday night.
She suggested he might have committed suicide as a result of the side-effect of his prescription drug, Ativan.
Chris Cornell Cremated, Service Will Be Private But Fans Can Still Pay Respects (VIDEO) https://t.co/vAcv6BCWVh
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 24, 2017
She became worried about him after she tried unsuccessfully to reach him on the phone in the evening after his last performance. When he failed to answer her calls, she called a family friend who went to his hotel room at Detroit’s MGM Grand and found him dead, according to WDIV ClickOnDetroit.
The friend forced his way into the room and found him dead on the floor.
Cornell updated his Facebook page only hours before he was found dead. The first news of his death came eight hours after an enthusiastic last Facebook post.
“@#Detroit finally back to Rock City!!!! @soundgarden #nomorebull****.”
#Detroit finally back to Rock City!!!! @soundgarden #nomorebullshit pic.twitter.com/BqXx9veFoD
— Chris Cornell (@chriscornell) May 18, 2017
He seemed in a happy, carefree, and jovial mood during the concert. He commended the enthusiasm of his Detroit fans, saying he felt “a little bit sorry for the next place we play,” TMZ reported.
The absence of a warning contributed to the shock of his death. His representative, Brian Bumbery, described his death as “sudden and unexpected.”
Observers claimed that he might have shown signs of preoccupation with death before he committed suicide through the “dark” lyrics he chose to sing at his last concert. But despite retrospective observations about his morbid choice of songs, close relatives insisted he had shown no signs of depression or suicidal thoughts.
Chris Cornell cremated at private ceremony ahead of funeral later this week https://t.co/ZLaa3B7dWq pic.twitter.com/eMINLFhdf2
— NME (@NME) May 24, 2017
Tributes poured from fellow musicians, actors, and celebrities following Cornell’s death. U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers dedicated performances to him, according to the Daily Mail.
Courtney Love and Tom Morello posted moving tributes to Instagram.
“Goodbye darling boy. Please say hi to all my loved ones. I cried for you today. Rip.”
“I love you, brother. Thank you for your friendship and your humor and your intellect and your singular and unmatched talent.”
Billy Idol, Jimmy Page, and Elton John also gave their condolences.
A moment of silence was observed in honor of the Grammy award-winning singer at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday night. He was eulogized as a “singer who had a voice for the ages.”
He formed Soundgarden in 1984 with pals Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto. He was the lead vocalist for Soundgarden and later Audioslave. Audioslave emerged after Zack de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, and Cornell was invited to join as the vocalist to work with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk.
Cornell also had a long and distinguished solo career.
He was survived by his wife of 13 years, Vicky Karayiannis, and two children, Toni, 12, and Christopher, 11.
[Featured Image By Casey Curry/AP Images]
