The Eerie Connection Between the Deaths of Chris Cornell and Ian Curtis
Nobody was expecting to wake up to the news of Chris Cornell's death. For several hours, rumors swirled regarding the cause of the Soundgarden frontman's passing; at the age of 52, many assumed that drugs or foul play would be involved. When the news came in from a Detroit medical examiner that Cornell's death was deemed suicide, it was a sad, striking revelation for all. A lot of people will remember May 18 for this, but it's also the 37th anniversary of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis' suicide.
It's an extremely dark coincidence that both vocalists reportedly committed suicide within hours of each other (Curtis was the wee hours of May 18th, GMT while Cornell was in the late hours of May 17th EDT) , both in completely different circumstances, both in various states of having families. Depression and making art unfortunately seem to follow each other, no matter how successful or loved one may be. If there's any small solace to be found in today's tragedy, it's that hopefully mental health issues both at large and in the arts community will be taken more seriously, and advocated for. Depression can affect anybody, regardless of their background or standing in life, and its important that we help those in need. Time will tell of the greater impacts of Cornell's death, but hopefully work will be done in his honor.