Just like many others, I was shocked to hear the news of Chris Cornell’s death.  It made me sad even though I didn’t know this man personally. Maybe because we’re the same age, we’re both early Gen Xer’s, and he always seemed to prevail over tough times.

We’re all mourning because of a simple reason. It was his voice.  You can feel the emotion when he sings. His voice is haunting and seems to be an echo of your soul. I wasn’t a big fan of Soundgarden or Audioslave but became a fan of Chris’ when he went solo.

In the past Chris admitted to depression and drug addiction. I don’t have a personal experience that is relatable other than the depression experienced during brain radiation received in 2009. It’s not something I’ve discussed much. The targeted radiation to my brain didn’t cause seizures but did affect my energy and mood. I was fatigued and had moments of “who cares” to what happened next. It wasn’t suicidal thoughts, but was okay with whatever happened to me. Maybe it was from the tiny prescribed anti-anxiety pill (lorazepam) I popped in my mouth 30 minutes before my head was secured in “a cage” for each radiation dose.

Being on drugs probably amplified his feelings. We’ll never know. It’s not a good idea to be on prescription drugs long-term for treatment either. It can alter the chemicals in your brain permanently. Each person’s situation is different because of their expectations and experiences.

I’ve written about mental health before, When It’s Time to Speak Up. Many people ignore the symptoms and stress is a big contributor that triggers bad behaviors.

Chris had a lot of compassion for others and he improved a song’s meaning when he did “covers” in my opinion.  Again it’s because of his voice. My favorite cover song by Chris is Thank You by Led Zeppelin.

Chris Cornell lyrics to “Thank You”

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
If mountains crumble to the sea, there would still be you and me.

Kind woman, I give you my heart, Kind woman, nothing more.

Little drops of rain whispers of the pain, tears of love lost in the days gone by.

Our love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
Together we shall go until we die.
Inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look and see.

And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles,
Thanks to you this will be done, for you to me are the only one.
Happiness, no more be sad, happiness, I am glad.

Little drops of rain, whispers of the pain, tears and love lost in the days gone by.
Our love is strong, with you there is no wrong,
Together we shall go until we die.

If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you.
If mountains crumble to the sea, there would still be you and me.

Thank you Chris for the beautiful and powerful music you created. You will be missed.

P.S. A documentary about Chris Cornell (by Banger Films) was announced in January 2017. I hope they continue the project and will definitely tune in if they do.