In the days following his death by reported suicide at age 52, fans and friends of Chris Cornell took to social media to express their grief. Very little was heard from Cornell's family, with the exception of a short statement following the Wayne County's Medical Examiner's report that the singer had died from suicide; his family believes that the actions leading to his death may be attributed to the highly addictive prescription anxiety medication Ativan. Now, one week following the news of his passing, Cornell's wife Vicky has written a deeply personal letter to her husband which was first published on the Billboard Magazine website.
Heartbreaking letter says, "I know that you will come find me"
Beginning the short, 4-paragraph letter with "To My Sweet Christopher," Vicky goes on to reveal details of highly personal conversations with her late husband and touches on the singer's years of philanthropy, including with the charity founded by the couple in 2012.
Offering both apology and understanding for the events surrounding the end of his life, Vicky writes, "I'm sorry you were alone, and I know that was not you," adding their children, aged 11 and 12, share this insight. For this, she says, Chris "can rest in peace."
Near the end of the letter, Vicky relates the romantic notion of intuitive understanding and past-life crossing.
"It has been said that paths that have crossed will cross again, and I know that you will come find me, and I will be here waiting."
Cornell's funeral set for Friday, site will be open to public following
Chris Cornell's remains were cremated in Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 23rd during a private ceremony at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
According to TMZ, Cornell's brother Peter, Johnny Ramone's widow, (and fellow philanthropist,) Linda Ramone, and Vicky were all in attendance.
It is expected that Cornell's ashes will be buried on Friday, May 26th during a separate private service for his friends and family at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. While there have been no plans for a large, public service or tribute for Cornell released at this point, the singer's grave site will be opened to fans after 3 p.m.
that afternoon.
Cornell and Soundgarden had been scheduled to headline the Rock the Range festival in Ohio last weekend, but the band's performance was replaced by a tribute to the late singer instead. After airing a video tribute to Cornell, Slipknot's Corey Taylor took to the stage with a series of acoustic songs including Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike." A portion of that tribute performance can be seen below.
