Singer Chris Cornell seemed to be really fighting to get through his show here before suicide, says a friend.
Nearly 48 hours after Cornell died following a performance at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Wednesday, loved ones of the late rocker returned to the Michigan concert venue to pay their respects.
Among the roughly 50 mourners was Detroit artiste and musician Kevin Morris — a friend of Cornell’s and onetime roadie for the singer’s bands Soundgarden and Audioslave.
Morris, who talked to Cornell six to seven times a year, including at the beginning of what now has become the 52-year-old frontman’s final tour, happened to be at Cornell’s show on Wednesday.
He told people.com that while he was in “utter shock” at Cornell’s death, the signs that something was wrong with his friend were there at the show.
“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,” Morris said.
Cornell was found dead at MGM Grand Detroit on Wednesday night.
Medical examiners have ruled that Cornell died of suicide by hanging, but his family have since spoken out saying they believe that the side effects of the prescription drug Ativan may have led him to thoughts of self-harm.
“He’s been clean for years,” Morris said.
“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.”
