He was only 12 years old when he fell into the jaws of alcohol and drug addiction!

American musician Chris Cornell was the founder, singer, and guitarist of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave and he also had a solo career for a time and founded the band Temple of the Dog. Many of his fans around the world are still in disbelief that he is no more, and this week the famous musician would celebrate his 57th birthday.

Chris grew up in Seattle in a large family, had two older brothers and three younger sisters. His parents divorced while he was still a teenager, after which he and his siblings took his mother’s maiden name. They all attended Catholic schools, and it was in one of them that Chris performed in front of an audience for the first time in one play. As a boy, he became interested in music and discovered The Beatles when he was just 10 years old. He often said that they were the ones "responsible" for his musical expression.

He didn’t have many friends, and he always described himself as a loner. In his teens, he also struggled with depression, which caused him problems all his life. At just 12, he started drinking alcohol, and it wasn’t long before he discovered drugs as well. By the age of 15, he was already taking drugs every day, and until he devoted himself entirely to music, he was on the brink of life because of his addictions.

He once said that his mother saved his life by buying him drums, and it was then that his music career began. He started hanging out with many musicians and with friends he started the band Soundgarden in 1984, which would later become one of the key bands in the grunge movement. He has collaborated with numerous colleagues, traveled all over the world with his bands, and has sold more than 14 million albums. He co-wrote the song "You Know My Name", which was released in 2006 as the title song of the James Bond film "Casino Royale", and thanks to one song he was also nominated for a Golden Globe. His unquestionable talent has secured him an army of fans around the world, and with his appearance, he has often thrown women around the world into a trance.

He also led an interesting private life. He started dating his band manager Susan Silver in 1985, and five years later they stood in front of the altar. Together they had a daughter, Lillian Jean, but in 2004 they divorced. He married Vicky Karayiannis the same year he divorced his first wife. In every relationship, his addictions caused him problems, and his widow said after his death that no one could get him out of the jaws of addiction except himself.

Cornell was found unconscious by a bodyguard on May 18, 2017, on the bathroom floor of his Detroit hotel room, after performing with his band Soundgarden the same evening. He was taken to hospital, but no one could save him. Doctors soon after declared him dead, and police investigated his case and later reported that nothing suspicious was related to his death.

By; Amber V. - Gossip Whispers