Losing a sibling is one of the hardest experiences that there can be. Many fans reacted to Chris Cornell’s tragic death without even thinking of what his brother was going through.
It turns out that his brother, Peter Cornell, was at first thinking of himself and other family members — before thinking of how fans were grieving.
He shared a deeply emotional Facebook post for his late brother’s fans, along with some photographs that really hit home.
“It’s been difficult to put words together. My heart is broken. Chris was always just my brother,” Peter wrote.
No matter how famous someone is, to family, they always are and always will be just family.
“Sometimes we only needed to just be in the same room and just be present. That was enough,” the grieving brother added.
And that’s a relatable sentiment, but what he shared next — his deep empathy for his brother’s fans and their loss — was especially powerful:
“It wasn’t until this week, it really hit me how he belonged to the world. That he is an icon and a legend. That being said, I am so sorry to YOU for your loss.”
Peter also shared a pair of photos, depicting the first and last times that he and his brother were together.
Pictures are powerful, and this is a heavy subject. Not everyone has photos from beginning to end like this.
Peter went on to talk about how artists impact more people’s lives than they could ever meet.
“Artists, actors, musicians. We rely on these people to lift us up. To inspire us and distract us in times of trouble,” he wrote.
And he ties that right back into talking specifically about Chris:
“Chris protected us when we needed him to. His one of a kind-ness surrounded us like a suit of armor. He was a warrior and a wizard. A howling wolf and a trusted mentor.”
That’s a really beautiful description. Most people are, understandably, struggling even to string words together after a loss like this.
Questions regarding Chris Cornell’s cause of death have been controversial to say the least, but Peter didn’t really touch on that.
Instead, he spoke about his brother’s life.
“My brother gave freely of his gifts and it was never a struggle. He kept himself from the saturation of celebrity in such a humble way.”
Celebrity status is okay, but it’s always impressive when people never seem absorbed or changed by their fame. And who would know better than his brother?
“The power and anger and passion of my brother’s music was always genuine, original, and legitimate.”
You don’t need a technical understanding of music to understand that.
“He was the powerful, sensitive, fragile, angry, mystical creature that will exist forever in his body of work. And he did it for ALL of us.”
But, as much as he’s processed, he’s still working his way through it. And he will be for a long time to come.
“I will never wrap my head around his passing. I’ve been in shock since I heard the news. I can’t and won’t let him go,” Peter concluded.
That’s understandable and, for too many people, deeply relatable.
Hug your loved ones and make sure that they know that they can come to you for help, folks.
