Chris Cornell ended his life just hours after playing a Soundgarden concert at Detroit’s Fox Theater. Now, concertgoers who attended Cornell’s ill-fated Detroit stop say the grunge rock icon wasn’t himself during his Final show.
In an interview with People magazine, longtime rock photographer Ken Settle, who has been photographing Soundgarden since the early 1980s, said that at his final how, Cornell was initially more “joyous” than usual is. Settle described the singer as “kind of a brooding performer,” but at this show, he was much more interactive with the audience.
But at one point, Cornell reportedly raved about how great the city of Detroit is, then added, “I feel sorry for the next city.”
What was his final song?
Settle said Cornell’s voice was great during his final show, but he found the band’s closing song to be an odd choice. For the encore, Cornell combined parts of the Soundgarden song “Slaves & Bulldozers” with Led Zeppelin’s ominous classic, “In My Time of Dying.”
A concert attendee told CNN he grabbed the setlist from the front of the stage and the listed encore performance was different than what was played. The fan also told CNN that Cornell “looked off” during his final show. A reporter from USA Today agreed that Chris Cornell was not himself in his last hours on stage.
Cornell reportedly staggered back and forth while on stage and seemed “weak in his movements.” The USA report revealed that while the concert itself was not a bad show, Cornell seemed like he “wasn’t mentally present.” The late rock icon skipped lyrics and looked visibly agitated with his bandmates at times, although during the encore he “gave it his all” with strong vocals and blazing guitar playing.
Family says rock legend was not suicidal
Just days before he was found dead in a hotel bathroom, Chris Cornell paid tribute to his wife, Vicky Cornell, with a heartfelt Mother’ Day message posted on social media. According to TMZ, Cornell spoke to his wife during the soundcheck shortly before he took the stage and also after his final show.
Sources told TMZ that his widow said Chris showed no signs of depression and that he was not in a suicidal state. But when Vicki Cornell tried to reach her husband by phone the next morning, and he didn’t answer, she became concerned and asked hotel security to check on him, and that’s when Chris Cornell’s body was found. In addition to his wife, Cornell leaves behind three children, ages 16, 12 and 11.
