Soundgarden's Chris Cornell remembered by rock royalty, celebrities and fans

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - Musical royalty and big-name celebrities attended a private funeral service in Hollywood on Friday for Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, followed by a procession of fans flocking to visit the grunge-rock icon's final resting place.

Cornell died May 18 in a Detroit hotel room. Coroner's officials said the 52-year-old rocker hanged himself. His family has questioned the events leading up to his death, saying he may have ingested an overdose of anti-
anxiety medication.

He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Vicky, and their two children -- 12-year-old daughter Toni and 11-year-old son Christopher. Cornell is also survived by a daughter from his first marriage, Lilly Cornell Silver.

Among those attending the private funeral service at Hollywood Forever Cemetery were Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Nirvana, Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, Brad Pitt, Courtney Love, James Franco, Christian Bale, Josh Brolin, Pharrell and Lisa Marie Presley, along with Cornell's fellow Soundgarden band mates.

His band mates eulogized him, but our distance to the funeral meant the best we could hear was when Brad Delson and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park sang, "Hallelujah.".

FOX 11's own Susan Hirasuna was standing next to a Cornell super fan, who identified the other songs that played as the attendees left the funeral.

Jill Donaldson told me she was particularly taken by the song, "Times of Trouble". That song was a tribute Cornell wrote for his friend Andrew Wood--and it's about heroin addiction. Cornell had had a drug problem in the past...and recent reports suggested he died with fresh track marks on his arms.

A long list of luminaries, either attended the funeral or RSVP'd.

Cornell's ashes were buried at the cemetery next to the grave of rocker Johnny Ramone, who died in 2004, according to the website TMZ. A small plaque at the site called him "Voice of our generation and an artist for all time."

The grave marker also referred to Cornell as "Beloved husband and father." After the private service ended, members of the public were given access to the burial site, and dozens of fans crowded around, snapping photos and paying tribute. At one point, the fans burst into applause for the rocker.

Cornell's attorney, Kirk Pasich, told "Entertainment Tonight" that Cornell was cremated in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The attorney said Cornell was a recovering addict and had a prescription for Ativan, but he may have taken too much of the medication. He said the family feels that if Cornell ingested too much Ativan, he likely didn't realize what he was doing when he killed himself.

The death of the Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman sent shockwaves through the music industry and stunned his legions of fans.

His wife, Vicky, wrote a love letter to her late husband earlier this week for Billboard.com. "You had always said I saved you, that you wouldn't be alive if it were not for me," she wrote. "My heart gleamed to see you happy, living and motivated. Excited for life. Doing everything you could to give back. We had the time of our lives in the last decade and I'm sorry, my sweet love, that I did not see what happened to you that night. I'm sorry you were alone, and I know that was not you, my sweet Christopher. Your children know that too, so you can rest in peace.

"I'm broken, but I will stand up for you and I will take care of our beautiful babies. I will think of you every minute of every day and I will fight for you. You were right when you said we are soulmates. It has been said that paths that have crossed will cross again, and I know that you will come find me, and I will be here waiting.

"I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone in the history of loving and more than anyone ever will."

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