Chris Cornell's brother Peter has penned an emotional letter remembering his late sibling and revealing how the family is coping following the Soundgarden frontman's suicide in May (17).
Chris died at the age of just 52 after hanging himself in a hotel room after a gig in Detroit, Michigan. Following his tragic passing, the Cornell family have been relatively quiet on social media, but Peter posted a letter to Facebook on Monday (28Aug17) in which he detailed just how much he is struggling to accept his brother's death.
"I cannot deny the pain of this loss. In some ways I cling to it. Refusing to let go because I want to keep my little Brother close, even if all that’s left are memories," he wrote. "At least we are rich with memories. I replay them all (too) often, starting with our childhood and reliving the glory that was Seattle in the 90's... Compassion is like a new word to me these days. This horror has connected me to family I have not known for many, many years.
"It’s a bittersweet connection that is equal parts reliving the devastation and lovingly tearing down the fences that have separated us for so very long. Compassion arms me with the ability to feel for their loss as you and I have felt for each other. In some ways my family lost my Brother twice. That is a burden I don’t share with them. I’ve grown new ears and hopefully a bigger heart."
Since Chris' death, the Cornell family have made an effort to spread the message of suicide prevention. And in his letter, Peter thanked fans of the Audioslave star for doing their bit.
"Although I pulled myself off Social Media, I’ve been able to glimpse bits and pieces of the selfless way so many people around the world continue to honour and pay tribute to my Brother," he continued.
"I truly couldn’t believe the way you picked up and carried the message of doing push-ups for suicide prevention. Please don’t stop. What a devastating way to have my eyes opened to how many lives around me, and all of us, have been touched by such tragedy. Going forward I hope prevention is a conversation we can have more freely. Removing the stigma that discussing suicide is like speaking about a dirty little secret. If only... what I’d give to have had the tiniest shred of this awareness in early May."
"Much love to ALL of you!!! Hold your families close. May peace find all of us. Goodnight Chester. Goodnight Brother," Peter concluded the letter, also referencing the suicide of Linkin Park star Chester Bennington in July.
