Chris Cornell's Real Name: Christopher John Boyle

Quick answer: Chris Cornell was born Christopher John Boyle on July 20, 1964, in Seattle. After his parents divorced, he and his siblings adopted their mother's maiden name, Cornell. He fronted Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and Audioslave. He died on May 18, 2017, in Detroit, at age 52 (Los Angeles Times; Rolling Stone).

Real name and early life

The Los Angeles Times obituary says Cornell "was born Christopher John Boyle on July 20, 1964, in Seattle." He was the second-youngest of six children of Ed Boyle, a pharmacist, and Karen Boyle, an accountant. It adds that "he and his siblings adopted his mother's maiden name, Cornell, for their surname after their parents divorced when he was a teenager." Rolling Stone likewise says he was born Christopher John Boyle and took his mother's maiden name. The Library of Congress files him as "Cornell, Chris," with the variant "Cornell, Christopher John, 1964-2017."

Rolling Stone says he took piano and guitar lessons before switching to drums. He jokingly compared his family to The Brady Bunch.

Career highlights

Soundgarden released music on the Seattle indie labels Sub Pop and SST. The band then signed with A&M and released Louder Than Love (1989). Badmotorfinger (1991) was its first platinum album, with "Outshined," "Rusty Cage," and "Jesus Christ Pose." Superunknown (1994) went to No. 1 and, according to the Times, sold more than 5 million copies. Its hits included "Black Hole Sun," "Spoonman," and "Fell on Black Days." Down on the Upside (1996) followed.

In 1991 he formed Temple of the Dog with Soundgarden members and future Pearl Jam musicians, in tribute to Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood. He later joined members of Rage Against the Machine in Audioslave and also toured as a solo acoustic performer. Rolling Stone reported that he sold nearly 15 million albums in the U.S. across his projects. The Recording Academy's chief called him "a two-time Grammy Award winner" and one of the originators of the Seattle grunge scene.

He died in a Detroit hotel hours after a Soundgarden concert there. Both outlets report that the Wayne County medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.

Name notes for searchers

Boyle was his father's surname and his legal surname at birth. Cornell was his mother's maiden name, which he adopted as a teenager, so it is not a stage name. Christopher John Cornell is the form LOC records.

If you or someone you know is struggling, in the U.S. you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.