Armenpress News Agency , Armenia May 18, 2017 Thursday 'The Promise' soundtrack author, Grammy winning singer Chris Cornell dead at 52 YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS. Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave, died Wednesday night, his representative told CNN. Cornell, 52, was in Detroit performing with Soundgarden, which had embarked on a US tour in April. Brian Bumbery, his representative, called Cornell's passing "sudden and unexpected" in a statement to CNN. "His wife Vicky and family were shocked to learn of his sudden and unexpected passing, and they will be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause," the statement read. "They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that their privacy be respected at this time." The Grammy-winning rocker had performed Wednesday night at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, CNN reported. Cornell wrote and performed the ‘Promise’ song for the eponymous movie on the Armenian Genocide. Speaking about the movie , he said : "That was one of the things that was important to me, was not just telling a century-old story, but telling that story because it's happening today," he said. "We need to be aware that these things happen now. We need to kind of be slapped in the face with the fact that, as horrendous as this was a century ago, in many parts of the world we haven't gotten anywhere."