Chris Cornell's death sparks outpouring of grief on social media

Thursday, May 18, 2017
In this July 29, 2015 photo, Chris Cornell poses for a portrait to promote his latest album, "Higher Truth," at The Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, Calif.
creativeContent-Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP

The death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, a founding father of the grunge rock movement, sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes on social media.

Cornell died Wednesday night in Detroit sometime after playing a Soundgarden show. His death, called "sudden and unexpected" in a statement by his representative, came in the midst of a national tour with the band.

Cornell posted about his Detroit performance on Twitter just eight hours before his death:

Musicians, fans, and celebrities paid tributes on Twitter at the unexpected death of the rocker: