Chris Cornell is a changed man.
The curly haired singer, who was once a long-haired poster boy for a musical movement, appears much the same as he did in the early ’90s, when Vogue ran its infamous “Grunge and Glory” spread in honor of flannel fashion. His steely eyes, heartthrob looks and distinctive, gravelly yet smooth vocals are nearly identical to how they were at the peak of popularity for his former band, Soundgarden.
But Cornell has done more than leave Seattle and cut his hair. He’s become a family man–a different man.
“It’s very inspiring and very eye-opening, and I think it is a great experience for me to have at 40 years old,” he said. “Kind of like a life-begins-at-40 feeling.”
Cornell is filled with pride these days, not just for his current band, Audioslave, but for his 1-year-old daughter, Toni, who has learned to walk.
Before joining Audioslave–which also consists of guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk and bass player Tim Commerford, all former members of Rage Against the Machine–Cornell wasn’t sure about his musical future. He has since credited meeting his current bandmates with saving his life.
Cornell, who splits his time between homes in L.A. and Paris, equally credits his new family life with renewing his career. From 1990 to 2004, he was married to Susan Silver, who also served as Soundgarden’s manager. When he met his current wife, Vicky Karayiannis, in Paris, she didn’t know a thing about Cornell’s career as a musician.
The singer and his current wife have been married for more than a year and are expecting their second child, a boy, after Thanksgiving. (Cornell also has a daughter with Silver.)
“I didn’t have the same focus [when I was in Soundgarden] I have now. Now everything has come together. The focus on my wife and my children, it really helps me make sense of the music side of it somehow,” Cornell said.
While Audioslave has been a successful venture for Cornell, what about Rage and Soundgarden, which were two of the most popular rock groups of the ’90s? Audioslave recently began performing songs from its members’ previous bands, which Cornell described as a natural progression.
“Tom and Brad and Tim were huge fans of Soundgarden before I ever met them. The [Soundgarden] songs we have played they play incredibly well, they take very seriously, and they love,” Cornell said. “The reverse is true for the Rage songs. I love the Rage songs that we do, and it’s such a different feeling.
“What a gift that is for us to have such long legacies of such varied musical fields and tap into any time we want, and we can make them ours and they’re good.”
Audioslave
With: Seether
When: Nov. 7
Where: UIC Pavilion, 1150 W. Harrison St.
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Edited by Curt Wagner (cwwagner@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
