Chris Cornell dead: What the Soundgarden singer said about great artists dying too young

He spoke about Bowie's death and the song 'Say Hello 2 Heaven' last year

Chris Cornell — lead singer of Soundgarden of Audioslave — has died aged 52, fans across the world remembering the acclaimed frontman on social media.

Many have shared Cornell’s words about David Bowie’s death last year, writing for Rolling Stone about how an artist’s work is often never fully appreciated until their death.

"You don't know how important someone is to you as an artistic influence until suddenly they're gone. I've certainly been having that experience.

“It's kind of equal parts sad and celebratory to think, 'Awesome. What an amazing career he had and what an amazing legacy he's left for everybody.'"

Fans have also been sharing the Temple of the Dog song ‘Say Hello 2 Heaven’, penned by Cornell as a tribute to Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood.

“The amount of times someone has requested I play that song for someone else who’s died have been numerous,” he told The Independent last year of the song.

“That’s great that it’s become this anthem that makes somebody feel some comfort when they’ve lost someone, but recently I’ve become a little more possessive of the idea that this song was actually written for a specific guy and I haven’t forgotten that person. So I’ve been reminding myself and those in the audience where that song came from.”

Cornell’s cause of death is currently unknown, the singer's family asking for privacy while they work with a medical examiner.