Inspired to play by The Beatles, Cornell joined Seattle covers band The Shemps,
while working as a chef. When they split in the early 1980s, he formed
Soundgarden with two former Shemps members, Hiro Yamamoto on bass and Kim Thayil
on guitar. The recruitment of drummer Matt Cameron allowed Cornell to
concentrate on singing and Soundgarden trailblazed Seattle's grunge movement
with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains.
With themes of alienation and despair, their 'Superunknown' album in 1994 was
their breakthrough, including hit singles 'Spoonman' and 'Black Hole Sun'. The
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