Chris Cornell’s Passionate Performance Of Prince’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’

Music fans around the world were shocked Thursday to learn of the death of singer-songwriter, Chris Cornell, 52. His body was found in a Detroit, Michigan, hotel room, and although no cause of death has been announced, it’s being investigated as an apparent suicide. Cornell is best known as the lead singer of Soundgarden, a band that combined the crunch of ’70s metal with early ’90s grunge. Later, he would find success with Audioslave, a supergroup featuring former members of Rage Against the Machine.

Cornell’s four-octave vocal range made him one of the most distinct and soulful singers of the past 30 years. He’s ninth on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest lead singers of all time. Cornell was best known for his signature howl on Soundgarden hits such as “Black Hole Sun” and “Blow Up the Outside World,” but later in his career he performed stripped-down acoustic covers of songs that showcased his vulnerability. In 2006, he had a surprise hit with a swampy cover of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.”

In the video above, taken in 2015 at the SiriusXM studios, Cornell gives a passionate acoustic performance of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Prince originally wrote the song in the late ’80s for a side project known as the The Family. But in 1990, the song was a worldwide hit for Irish singer Sinead O'Connor.