Chris Cornell’s friend says ‘something wasn’t right’ at final show
Chris Cornell’s friend says he knew something was wrong at the rocker’s final show.
The Soundgarden frontman died by suicide in his hotel room at the MGM Grand Detroit on Wednesday (05.17.17) night after the band’s gig in the city and close pal Kevin Morris, who was once a roadie for the band, insisted there were signs that Chris was not doing well.
He told PEOPLE: "The whole performance you could tell something wasn’t right. Into the second song he started getting disoriented or something. I just figured he wasn’t feeling well."
"Everybody felt there was something going on. Like he wasn’t with us. Like he was on a cloud. It was like he was really fighting to get through the show."
Chris’ wife Vicky believes the star’s use of the drug Ativan may have led to his suicide and Kevin admitted he has no idea why his friend would take his own life.
He said: "He’s been clean for years. He talked to his wife right before and right after the show… He was working very hard to make everyone happy. He loved Detroit. What was troubling him I don’t think we’ll ever know. I think he was a little nervous about playing in Detroit, the music capital of the world, and he took a little too much of the Ativan."
However, photographer Ken Settle said Chris was "more joyous" than ever before at his final show.
He said: "He’d always been, back in the early days especially, kind of a brooding performer, more introspective, sometimes looking down at his guitar most of the time with his hair in his face. At this show, it was the opposite of that.
"His voice was great. He was hitting all of the high notes. The artistry of the band. This was not a retread. There was still a creative force. They weren’t just putting it on cruise control. It was one powerful band. That spark, the energy and the artistry was still there."
