Chris Cornell: Doctor sued over Soundgarden star's 2017 death

  • Published
Media caption,

Chris Cornell spoke to Jools Holland in 2012 about his career in music

The widow of US singer Chris Cornell is suing his doctor, accusing him of overprescribing drugs that ultimately led to his death in 2017.

Vicki Cornell alleges that Dr Robert Koblin "negligently and repeatedly" prescribed the singer "dangerous mind-altering controlled substances".

Cornell was found in a Detroit hotel room and his death was ruled a suicide.

Traces of several drugs were found in his body - but a coroner's report said the drugs were not a cause of death.

Dr Koblin has so far made no public comments on the issue.

Cornell was the lead vocalist of Soundgarden. He died aged 52.

It alleges that the drugs prescribed by Dr Koblin and his office "impaired Cornell's cognition, clouded his judgement and caused him to engage in dangerous impulsive behaviours that he was unable to control, costing him his life".

The case, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, focuses on large amounts of anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam (Ativan) prescribed to the singer between September 2015 and his death on 18 May 2017.

Mrs Cornell also alleges that the doctor had not physically examined the singer before recommending the drugs.

Musician's legacy

Cornell was born on 20 July 1964 in Seattle.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Cornell was the lead singer of Soundgarden and also Audioslave

As a solo artist, he released four studio albums.

His biggest single in the UK was 2006's You Know My Name, which was the theme song to Casino Royale, which starred Daniel Craig.

The track made him the first male American artist to write and perform the theme song for a James Bond movie.

But he was perhaps most famous as the lead singer of Seattle band Soundgarden, which formed in 1984 and went on to release six studio albums.

Follow us on Facebook, external, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, external, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents, external. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

Related topics