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Police: Death of singer Chris Cornell investigated as suicide

Rocker Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has died at age 52, according to his representative.
Soundgarden from left: Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Chris Cornell and Ben Sheperd (Photo: Michael Lavine, USA Today)

Rocker Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and later Audioslave, has died at age 52, according to his representative.

Cornell, who had been on tour, died Wednesday night in Detroit, Brian Bumbery said in a statement to The Associated Press.

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

Wayne County spokeswoman Lisa Croff said Thursday morning that the autopsy is being conducted by the county Medical Examiner's office. She expects some information to be released about the results later in the day.

Police say he died at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel and that his death is being investigated as a possible suicide.

As the lead singer for Seattle-based Soundgarden, Cornell helped architect the 90’s grunge rock movement. He was also a Grammy award-winning, Golden Globe nominated singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer and lyricist.

In addition, Cornell became involved in philanthropy and started the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.

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