Chris Cornell’s family walked the red carpet dressed in black at the Grammys, eight months after the rocker’s shocking death.
The late Soundgarden singer’s widow Vicky Cornell and daughters Toni, 13, and Lily, 17, posed side-by-side at the 2018 Grammy Awards on Sunday. His 11-year-old son, Christopher, did not attend the awards show.
Their appearance marks the first time the rockstar’s family had walked a red carpet together since his death in May 2017.
Vicky and Lily donned sleeveless black gowns with matching cut-outs and Lily wore a cocktail-length black dress with ballerina flats.
Chris Cornell’s family walked the red carpet dressed in black at the Grammys Sunday night. The late Soundgarden singer’s widow Vicky Cornell (right) and daughters Toni (center), 13, and Lily (left), 17, posed side-by-side at the 2018 Grammy Awards
Their appearance marks the first time the rockstar’s family had walked a red carpet together since his death in May 2017
Vicky and Lily donned sleeveless black gowns with matching cut-outs and Lily wore a cocktail-length black dress with ballerina flats. Chris Cornell also has an 11-year-old son, Christopher (right in April 2017)
Chris Cornell was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his room after his band’s Fox Theater concert.
Cornell hanged himself in a hotel room at the MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit. He was just 52 years old.
His death was ruled as suicide by hanging, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Cornell’s autopsy report, released June 2, 2017, said toxicology tests detected lorazepam, which is used in the treatment of anxiety and sold as Ativan; pseudoephedrine, a decongestant; naloxone, used to counter effects of opioids; butalbital, a sedative, and caffeine in his system.
The report revealed the drugs ‘did not contribute to the cause of death’.
In June 2017, Vicky opened up to People Magazine about her husband’s death.
She said her husband had been sober since 2009, but she had noticed slight changes in him over the year before his death, which is when he began taking Ativan to help him sleep.
Vicky said he did not seem rested however despite taking the prescription sleep aid, adding: ‘I relaxed I guess.’
Chris Cornell hanged himself in a hotel room at the MGM Grand Hotel in Detroit. He was just 52 years old. His death was ruled as suicide by hanging, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office
Cornell’s autopsy report, released June 2, said toxicology tests detected lorazepam, which is used in the treatment of anxiety and sold as Ativan; pseudoephedrine, a decongestant; naloxone, used to counter effects of opioids; butalbital, a sedative, and caffeine in his system
At the time, she refused however to even entertain the notion that her husband had taken his own life, despite the report.
‘He wouldn’t go out like that,’ said Vicky. ‘Chris was impaired.’
‘My Chris was happy, loving, caring and warm,’ she said. ‘This was not a depressed man — it wasn’t like I missed that. What I missed were the signs of addiction.’
Cornell performs on stage at Fox Theater on May 3, 2017, a week before his death
Vicky told People that if her husband had not relapsed on drugs that night, he would not have died.
‘He didn’t want to die,’ she said of Cornell, who was prescribed Ativan as a sleep aid but doubled his dose the night of his death.
‘If he was of sound mind, I know he wouldn’t have done this… Addiction is a disease. That disease can take over you and has full power.’
His family has continued the rocker’s legacy by supporting his charity group.
The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation was formed in 2012 to raise funds and to support charitable organizations serving children who are facing homelessness, poverty, abuse, and neglect worldwide.
Vicky and her family also helped launch a music therapy program in July at Childhaven, a nonprofit in Cornell’s hometown of Seattle that serves children and families who have experienced trauma.
‘The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation is excited to join Childhaven to support its extraordinary work impacting the lives of those in need,’ Vicky said at the time.
‘Chris and I always shared a strong belief in the healing and inspiring power of music, and through Childhaven’s establishment of this program, we are able to keep the promise for Chris by continuing to protect the world’s most vulnerable children.’
The 60th annual Grammy Awards are broadcast live from Madison Square Garden in New York City on CBS starting at 7.30pm on Sunday.