Tributes to Soundgarden and Audioslave singer Chris Cornell

Police have reported that Cornell's wife called a family friend to check on his well-being following Soundgarden's concert in Detroit on Wednesday night. A full autopsy has not been completed yet.

TMZ claims the person who broke into Cornell's room "found him with a band around his neck".

Cornell's death, at age 52, is being investigated as a "possible suicide," a spokesman for the Detroit Police Department told CNN. The group had been touring together ever since, and reportedly planned to record a new album.

The Grammy victor, who spent his life fundraising for charity, performed with Soundgarden at Detroit's Fox Theatre on Wednesday where his last song "In my time of dying" referenced his deathbed, reports mirror.co.uk. "@Soundgarden #nomorebulls*it (sic)" Cornell's death is reported to have been "sudden and unexpected" and his family including his wife, Vicky Karayiannis, have asked for privacy during this hard time as medical professionals examine her husband's cause of death, which is as yet unknown. "They would like to thank his fans for their continuous love and loyalty and ask that privacy be respected at this time".

"Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden and later Audiolave, had tweeted earlier on Wednesday: "#Detroit finally back to Rock City!

The Wayne County Medical Examiner's office will make an official determination about the cause of death.

Chris Cornell (L) and his wife Vicky Karayiannis arrive at the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Neil Diamond in Los Angeles on February 6, 2009. Since then, they released an album, King Animal.

Alice Cooper tweeted, "Chris Cornell: INCOMPARABLE Singer; Songwriter; Family Man".

The frontman was one of the crucial architects of the grunge movement when he formed his band Soundgarden in 1984 alongside lead guitarist Kim Thayil and bassit Hiro Yamamoto.

They split in 1997, and Chris went on to further success fronting the supergroup Audioslave with members of Rage Against The Machine.

While his music career flourished, he also got involved in a lot of philanthropic activities such as starting a foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.

Soundgarden was back in business, however, touring the US once again.