Chris Cornell Net Worth - Pulptastic

Publish date: 2024-05-20

What was Chris Cornell’s net worth?

Chris Cornell, the American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his work as the lead vocalist and guitarist of rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, passed away at the age of 52 in 2017.

At the time of his death, Cornell’s net worth was estimated to be $40 million. He was born on July 20, 1964 in Seattle, Washington.

Early Life and Musical Influences

Chris Cornell was raised in Seattle, Washington with his mother and five siblings. His mother is of Jewish descent and a self-proclaimed psychic, while his father was of Irish Catholic descent and a pharmacist. Cornell took lessons for both the piano and guitar as a child and was influenced by Alice Cooper, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Beatles.

He showed an aptitude for performance at a young age, putting on his first performance at school in the 6th grade.

Struggles with Substance Abuse

Cornell’s parents divorced when he was a teenager, and he began to struggle with substance abuse shortly after. His early teen years were marked by periods of heavy drug use, social isolation, and sobriety. By the age of 12, he had extensive experience using a variety of hard drugs.

Early Music Career

Cornell quit school after the 8th grade and began working to help support his family. When he was 16, he learned how to play the drums and started playing around in local bands. He played a few shows with Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto during this period, with whom he would go on to form Soundgarden, but they didn’t like each other enough at the time to form a band.

Soundgarden’s Rise to Fame

Chris Cornell reunited with Kim Thayil and Hiro Yamamoto in 1984 to form Soundgarden. They released their debut EP Screaming Life in 1987 and grew in popularity as part of Seattle’s grunge music scene. Their 1991 album Badmotorfinger brought them widespread recognition, but its controversial music video for “Jesus Christ Pose” was pulled from MTV. Superunknown, their fourth album released in 1994, brought them international success and critical acclaim, earning them two Grammy’s and an MTV Video Music Award. However, tensions within the band intensified during the production of their fifth album, Down on the Upside, and they split up after its tour in 1997.

Cornell’s Solo Career and Audioslave

Cornell released his first solo album, Euphoria Morning, in 1999 and went on a successful solo tour. His album received critical acclaim, but did not perform as well commercially. While working on his second album, Cornell was approached by the remaining members of Rage Against the Machine and formed the band Audioslave.

They released their self-titled debut album in 2002, which was a commercial success but received mixed reviews. Prior to their first tour, there were rumors that Cornell had checked into rehab, but he was able to continue with the tour as scheduled. Their second album, Out of Exile, was released in 2005 and received critical praise, debuting at number one on the charts. Cornell announced his departure from the band in 2006 due to creative differences.

Marriages and Philanthropy

Chris Cornell’s first marriage was to former Soundgarden manager Susan Silver. Together, they had a daughter in 2000. The couple divorced in 2004.

He then married publicist Vicky Karayiannis, with whom he had two children. In 2013, they founded the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to aid homeless youths.

Chris Cornell’s Death

Chris Cornell was found dead in his Detroit hotel room in May of 2017, just hours after performing. He was only 52 years old and had battled depression for his whole life, admitting to struggling with suicidal thoughts in the past. The corner ruled his death a suicide, but his widow, Vicky Cornell, doubted this conclusion.

Although the only drugs found in his system were prescribed, they were present in higher levels than prescribed. This led Vicky Cornell to believe his death was unintentional and subsequently file a lawsuit against his former doctor for negligence in 2018.

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