Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist and solo artist Chris Caffery has posted the following tribute to Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died on May 18th at the age of 52.

"I headed out this evening to support a local karaoke. I sang an Ozzy song but a couple of people asked if I could do a Soundgarden song. Now, Chris was one of those people that made me happy that I chose guitar as an instrument. To me he was the best of that entire decade. The grunge movement I adored Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. There were a lot of other bands that I liked but those two were my favs. Chris Cornell was always one of those singers you would have loved to do a record with. I met him a couple times at festivals in Europe. He, to me, was a modern day Jim Morrison but he had a Dio-like voice. Type of guy that as they say 'could sing the phone book!'

I'm not going to touch on the how and why and how come. I've dealt with enough death this year as it is.

Just wanted to post a lil bit of respect for a real superstar. I have never sang this before just gave it a go and I hope you don't mind me covering one of the greatest ever. If Paul O'Neill is producing Heaven's rock band he just got someone alongside of Ray Gillen and Ronnie Dio that makes it even better."

Respectfully,
Chris

P.S.: "If your sync is off open Facebook in a browser and not and app! They have problems!"

A report from Variety reveals that Cornell’s family has issued a statement questioning the coroner’s report that the singer intentionally took his own life.

“Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris - or if any substances contributed to his demise,” the Cornell family said.

The vocalist had a prescription for Ativan, the family shared, and may have taken a higher dosage that impaired his judgement. Attorney Kirk Pasich noted that Ativan can cause paranoid or suicidal thoughts and slurred speech. Ativan is a tranquilizer and anti-anxiety medication that is sometimes used as a sleeping aid.

Cornell was a recovering addict and had allegedly been sober since 2002. His wife, Vicky, said in an emotional statement, “Chris’s death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband.”

She said Cornell flew home from Soundgarden’s tour the weekend before to spend time with his wife and children, before returning to the mid-west.

Read the full report at Variety.com.

Chris Cornell was found dead in his hotel bathroom at 12:05 AM, ET on Thursday. Soundgarden had played a show just hours before at Detroit’s Fox Theater. Fan-filmed video of his final performance can be seen below: