Chris Cornell: Another Gem Lost To Suicide

Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell died of hanging by suicide, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed, amid reports that he was found dead in the bathroom of his hotel in Detroit on Wednesday night, an hour after wrapping up his latest concert.

The 52-year-old singer “died of hanging by suicide,” a medical examiner ruled on Thursday according to Telegraph.

Police said earlier that his death was being investigated as a "possible suicide," although full autopsy has not yet been completed.

Cornell’s publicist Brian Bumbery stated that his death was sudden and unexpected, ABC News reported. “His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing. They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”

Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden and later Audioslave, teased the show in a tweet on Wednesday at 8:06 p.m., writing, "#Detroit finally back to Rock City!!!!"

“What I look forward to the most -- because I tour so much, especially the last couple of years, by myself -- is the camaraderie. It’s what we missed when we weren’t a band,” Cornell had posted on Facebook on Tuesday. The band had been in the middle of a US tour scheduled to end on May 27 in Oklahoma.

Cornell first rose to stardom nearly three decades ago as the lead vocalist of the Seattle-based grunge rock band Soundgarden which became a leading band in 1980s and 1990s with albums Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. In addition to his notable work in bands, Cornell also had a successful solo career.

Cornell has sold more than 30 million records as a part of Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, according to his website.

Cornell had spoken openly in interviews of his struggles with drugs as a teenager, and later with alcohol. But he said in 2007 that he had been sober since checking himself into rehab in 2002. He also spoke of periods of depression and agoraphobia.