Chris Cornell
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"Christopher John Boyle", professionally known as "Chris Cornell", is an American rock music/rock musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1991, in addition to being the founder and frontman for Temple of the Dog, the one-off tribute band dedicated to his former roommate, Andrew Wood (singer)/Andrew Wood. Cornell is known both for his extensive catalog as a songwriter and for his near 4 octave vocal range as well as his powerful Belting (music)/vocal belting technique. He has released three solo studio albums, Euphoria Morning (1999), Carry On (Chris Cornell album)/Carry On (2007), Scream (Chris Cornell album)/Scream (2009), and live album Songbook (Chris Cornell album)/Songbook (2011). Cornell was ranked 4th in the list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists" by Hit Parader, 9th in the list of 'Best Lead Singers Of All Time' by Rolling Stone, 12th in "MTV's 22 Greatest Voices in Music" and was voted "Rock's Greatest Singer" by readers of Guitar World. He performed the theme song to the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006 film)/Casino Royale (2006), "You Know My Name."

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It's great when you play to an audience that knows the words to all your songs, and sings them back to you.

279

First and foremost, it was a lesson in propaganda. We were wound up, thinking we might be under surveillance, there would be hidden cameras in our hotel rooms, our phone lines would be bugged, they'd go through all our stuff. As Americans, we really aren't allowed to know much about Cuba or the people there.

194

When I was maybe nine years old, I listened to the entire Beatles catalogue, non-stop, for about a year.

190

The show was very emotional. We all have so much experience that we were trying to trick ourselves into believing we weren't nervous. Afterward, we were sitting around saying the normal things you say after a show. Then suddenly we all became quite overwhelmed as it dawned on us that we had just done a very special thing.

181

Actually, that's not true.

157

He just complained and complained the whole time we were there...But it didn't make any difference in terms of how our day went, because nobody there cared where we were from.

153

I don't think there are too many rock bands in history that can look at the beginning and middle and ending of themselves and see what I see when I think of Soundgarden. I think from the beginning through the middle and the end it was such a perfect ride and such a perfect legacy to leave.

149

Probably before that record comes out we'll be out playing shows again. The idea is just to break down what has been the normal cycle of a year and a half on the road, a year and a half making a record, not get so far away from one world or the other world. I think that that makes better music, I think it makes for a better live show, I think it makes a better band.

125

Most of the time, reading through treatments, it's like it could be any band, any song -- it doesn't matter that it's you or your song. The ideas are completely disconnected from the music and the image of the band.

110