Lauren Marks: Reaction To Chris Cornell Death

I was punched in the gut and all the air left my lungs.  That’s what I felt when I first saw the news about Chris Cornell, dead at 52.  I cried.  No, we weren’t personal buddies who texted each other, but he was this wild Seattlite, with long curly hair, and a voice range that even Mariah Carey couldn’t touch. He sang with such emotion, he was intense, Soundgarden was intense. Chris Cornell had the voice of an angel, or the angel of death, depending on the song.  “Louder Than Love” was a fun album to play on college radio because we were on the internet rather than FM or AM, so we got a way with a lot!  Like me playing “Big Dumb Sex” for my entire show (which was only an hour anyway). The truth is, I thought Chris Cornell was like other heavy rockers and pictured him that way, until Temple of the Dog.

Temple of the Dog, as you might recall, was the teaming up of what would become Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell.  It happened because of the death of Andy Wood, who was at one time, Chris Cornell’s roommate.  Because the Seattle music scene was so tight knit, this death hit all of them so hard. And suddenly, I heard a different side to Chris Cornell.  I heard his anguish and his stoic farewell to his friend.  I think I listened to Temple of the Dog over and over, all through the 90s.  But, God, his voice,…I’ll never forget it .

I met him a few times in my radio years.  He was quiet and very humble.  He would meet fans graciously.  I interviewed him once and chatted after, and the next time I saw him, he remembered me, remembered my name. He didn’t have to…”Hey,…Lauren, right? How are you?” Simple, but it meant the world to me.  What a gift.  RIP Chris Cornell.