Having been the frontman of one of Seattle’s most well-known rock bands, frontman of the second band in history to perform live in Cuba, and named as one of the godfathers of the grunge genre, Chris Cornell was a rare, unique, and special act in the rock & roll/grunge scene. In 1984, Cornell had formed the band Soundgarden back in his hometown Seattle with his friend Kim Thayil, who took role as the guitarist, Hiro Yamamoto, who took role as the bassist (but was later replaced by current bassist Ben Shepherd), and Cornell himself taking the roles of drummer and vocalist.