The Roots of Genius: What Really Shaped Young Chris Cornell's Artistry

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In March 1990, the burgeoning Seattle community suffered its first catastrophic shock: Andrew Wood, frontman for Mother Love Bone and Cornell’s close friend and former roommate, died of a heroin overdose. Devastated, Cornell retreated once again into songwriting, writing two slow-burning eulogies: "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven."

Rather than fold these raw personal tracks into Soundgarden's heavy repertoire, Cornell reached out to Wood's former bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament. Along with guitarist Mike McCready and a young, newly arrived singer from San Diego named Eddie Vedder, they formed Temple of the Dog. The resulting 1991 self-titled album revealed a side of Cornell that the underground had rarely seen: vulnerable, blues-drenched, and intimately expressive. Cornell's willingness to share vocal duties with Vedder on "Hunger Strike" demonstrated an artist confident in his gifts, capable of trading thunderous lines while lifting up a complete newcomer.