| The funeral of the Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell, will take place on Friday during a private service at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
The Soundgarden frontman was found dead in his hotel room in Detroit in the early hours of 18 May, and his body was transported back to Los Angeles on Sunday (21.05.17) ahead of a private service at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery later this week, his attorney Kirk Pasich has confirmed.
Meanwhile, the ‘You Know My Name’ singer was remembered with a moment of silence at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday following a tribute from Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds.
Dan took to the stage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas to praise the Audioslave singer as a “true innovator and pioneer”.
He said: “Although tonight is a night to celebrate the music and artists of the past year, it’s also a time to recall a member of our community we lost this past week. Soundgarden and Audioslave’s Chris Cornell was a true innovator, a musical architect and a pioneer on the cutting edge of the Seattle grunge movement.
“He was a prolific songwriter, a legendary performer, a singer who had a voice for the ages, and a philanthropist whose Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation helped so many children around the world.
“Even though Chris is gone, his legacy endures. We send our respects, as well as our love to Chris’ family at this time. Please join us in a moment of silence to remember Chris Cornell.”
A picture of Chris then appeared on a big screen on stage as the entire audience fell silent.
The 52-year-old musician’s death has been ruled a suicide by hanging, but his wife Vicky previously admitted she felt prescription drugs may have played a part as he was not himself when she spoke to him before his death.
She said: “He was slurring his words; he was different. When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him.”
Their attorney, Kirk Pasich, added that the family believes the Ativan, which can lead to suicidal thoughts, could have caused the star to kill himself.
He said: “Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris – or if any substances contributed to his demise.
“The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions.”