Chris Cornell live with Soundgarden @ Soundwave 2015 / Photo: Brett Schewitz

Soundgarden & Audioslave Singer Chris Cornell Dies Aged 52

UPDATE: Chris Cornell’s death has been ruled as suicide.

ORIGINAL STORY: Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave, has died at age 52, according to a representative.

Cornell’s publicist Brian Bumbery has told The Associated Press that the singer died on Wednesday night in Detroit.

The cause of death is not yet known, but Bumbery called it “sudden and unexpected”. Cornell’s wife and family were said to be shocked.

His family has asked for privacy and said they would be working with a medical examiner to determine the cause of Cornell’s death.

Cornell last toured Australia in 2015. He initially made a name for himself as the lead singer of Soundgarden before he joined Audioslave with members of Rage Against The Machine. He also released five solo albums throughout his career.

Soundgarden were due to play shows in the US over the weekend, and Cornell released his latest single ‘The Promise’ earlier this month.

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