Mike’s Thoughts on Chris Cornell

I woke up to some sad news this morning. Chris Cornell, a musician who I've long admired for his vocal range and style and his songwriting, had passed away. As the news starting coming in there wasn't a mention of the cause of death, just that he'd passed away suddenly. As the morning wore on it was reported that he may have committed suicide. Sad. Here is an accomplished artist that is still revered by his fans, he's been a part of several popular bands, Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog, Audioslave as well as a successful career. He left behind a beautiful wife and three children through two marriages. He had just finished a well-received show with Soundgarden in Detroit. I guess the question that keeps running through my mind is... why?

I realize we never see the full picture of what's going on in someone's life at any given time, but when that person seems to be living a good life it's harder to understand. After having known several people in my life that have committed suicide over the years, you're always left wondering, why didn't they reach out to me or someone else? When you're down in that well of despair, you really need to reach out to someone, anyone, and ask them to give you a hand and pull you out. The people around you aren't there because they don't have anything better to do. They're there because they love you. If you feel like you don't have anybody to share the depth of your despair, you can always call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255.

I didn't intend for this post to become preachy, I actually only wanted to share how much the possible suicide of Chris Cornell has affected my life and makes me relive all the past suicides of friends and the holes they've left in my life. Losses that could've possibly been avoided had they just reached out.