This Letter Sent Home Explaining Why a Pregnant Student Can't Walk At Graduation is BANANAS5/25/2017
There's a semi hot story on the internet streets right now regarding an 18 year old pregnant senior at Heritage Academy named Maddi Runkles. Heritage Academy is a Christian school in Maryland. Maddi, a senior with a 4.0 GPA is being barred from walking at the school's upcoming graduation on June 2nd. The story is like a bingo board of great blog material: religious nuts, teen pregnancy, morality contracts and idiotic school boards.
I hateeeeee school administrators (for the most part) they're the worst and are why I'm so hesitant to fully jump into teaching. They have a history of making horrible decisions. A girl with cancer in one of the Dakotas wasn't allowed to graduate because she was 6 credits short since she was kind of busy trying to not die. Like use some fucking common sense judgment here. Long story short the school is saying it's not because she's pregnant but because she was "immoral" as to why she's not allowed to attend the graduation ceremony. I was originally going to include the entire story from the Washington Post, but it's long AF and I want you to have energy to read my take. That being said here is the article www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/a-christian-school-rejects-calls-to-let-pregnant-senior-attend-graduation/2017/05/24/5b798cbc-4090-11e7-9869-bac8b446820a_story.html?utm_term=.859db7c153ff Because I love you guys, I'll do ya one better.
David Hobbs an administrator released this statement to the families of students at Heritage and tbh it just pissed me off a ton. I'll show you why!
Where do I even begin? How about that opener "Dearest Heritage Family:" Yo straight up, who the fuck says "dearest" in 2017? Such a hoity-toity, "we're better than you" Christian private school move. What are you an administrator or a soldier for the union army writing a letter to your wife back at home on the farm? "Dearest Margaret, it's been 3 fortnights since I last wrote you, my love". Get over yourself, Dave, just chill out man. So you and your wife have "fallen in love" with the people of Heritage? Do you really think a letter explaining why you're not letting the class slut graduate (joke, I'm on her side) is the best time to drop a bomb like this? What are you looking to become a throuple? That or just learn how the english language works, bro. Words having meaning. You work for a school after all. Important for Davey to remember this. Know the difference.
I actually kind of respect the move here. It is good practice to not air everyone's dirty laundry. But I'm guessing he just wanted to keep the issue underwraps. As a non confrontational person I try to do the same. I'm a big "just avoid it and hope it goes away" guy. No, it doesn't really work.
However, I don't believe him for one second when he says: "In my thinking, these were the two to protect: first Maddie, then Heritage, in that order". She's just another face in the halls to them. I'm just using my brain and experiences in life with the church and private schools to assume they more so did not want news of one of their students getting pregnant spreading. They don't want the judgmental Christians looking down their nose at Heritage for having a pregnant student. "We're Heritage that doesn't happen here". That's just what I think really went down.
This is hands down my favorite line.
"Maddi is being disciplined, not because she's pregnant, but because she was immoral". It's like telling someone going to jail for murder, it's not because you shot and killed someone, it's because you weren't nice. I feel like I could've found a better way to make an analogy, but I think you get my point. Just a ridiculous thing to say. Look, I get it. Since this is a private school they can kind of do whatever they want. But to me having 5th graders sign a "morality contract" that is going to hold them accountable for the rest of their time in the school seems like basically entrapment to me. Of course a 5th grader is going to say they'll abstain from sex, drugs and alcohol (aka 3 of the best things about being alive). They don't know any better, they're like 11 years old! I don't think I even knew what those things were at 11. It's like asking a 16 year old who got his first job to sign a contract saying he's never allowed to play the stock market. Probably wouldn't think twice because no 16 year old wants to do that. But maybe in 10 years when he has a real job and wants to start investing, he does. Well guess what he can't because he signed some stupid contract a decade ago stopping him for doing stuff he didn't even know about at the time. Back to the 11 year old thing. I remember when I first heard the term "blow job" I thought it meant that the girl blew up your dick like an actual balloon. Just blowing air in your pee hole like it's an air-mattress. Not exactly how they work. This is my biggest issue with Christianity and honestly all religions. I believe in God, but think all the stupid rules are ridiculous. There's so many trivial things that don't matter. Being a believer, living a positive life and being a good person should be all that matters. I just can't believe that experimenting with booze when you're 16 like everybody else in America has done for generations makes you bad. Let's just assume there is a God for a second. Do you really think something as trivial eating meat on Friday is going to be what stops you from going to Heaven? Also last point on this part, I'm so confused about this contract. Say you're a sophomore in high school and get caught drinking, then (like some pussy) stop for the rest of high school. Does that mean come two years they won't let you walk at graduation? I thought all "sins" were the same in God's eyes? This is just idiotic all around. I thought Christians were supposed to be forgiving people? We love Maddi Runkles, which is why we want to take away what would've been one of the most important moments of her life this far. You go to school to get ready for the real world and graduation is a celebration of that. Acknowledgement for what you accomplished. Something that can never be replicated. Taken away because she was "immoral" for having sex. Seems like justice here. As if the punishment of being an 18 year old mother is not enough, let's take away one of the last moments she'll have before becoming a parent to be around all her friends one last time together before everybody moves on with their lives. This is like the reverse "just cause I'm dressed this way, doesn't mean I'm a whore".*** Just because we're being harsh, cruel ass holes doesn't mean we are. Like just because Adrian Peterson beat up his son with switch until his balls bled does not mean he's a bad father! Why don't you prove you're not "harsh, cruel, hard-hearted men" by using common sense and let this girl walk at graduation? Ahhhhh, I don't know if I believe ya there, bro. I just feel really badly for this girl. She made a mistake, for sure. But the punishment seems way too severe. Yes I will say that getting pregnant in high school is a mistake, sorry it is. You shouldn't be reproducing when you still have to ask for permission to go to the bathroom. That's just what I believe. But things happen and this girl is trying to make the best of it. Good for her. Maybe instead of preaching abstinence which obviously didn't work, get with the 21st century and teach how to be safe. Then who knows? Maybe this situation wouldn't have happened. As a lowkey God guy, I just feel like shit like this gives Christians a really bad look. As someone who wants to teach and help young people become who they'll be after school, decisions like this from a school board really bum me out. *** had to include it after that reference.
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Song: King of the Rodeo Artist: Kings of Leon Album: Aha Shake Heartbreak They're sweet, they're spicy, and they're headed to a store near you. Capitalizing on the latest sweet and spicy food trend, Skittles and Starburst debuted new, fiery versions of themselves at the annual Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago Tuesday: Skittles Sweet Heat and Starburst Sweet Heat. According to a release, the latest take on the familiar confections will feature the same "fruity flavors" just with "a spicy kick." The new Skittles flavors will include Fiery Watermelon, Blazin' Mango, Flamin' Orange, Sizzlin' Strawberry, and Lemon Spark, while the new spicy Starbursts will feature Fiery Watermelon, Strawberry Mango, Flamin' Orange, and Pipin' Pineapple. "From flavors like honey sriracha to mango chipotle, confectioners and snack manufacturers both are increasingly turning to sweet to balance out hot, spicy, or tangy flavors," Susan Whiteside, vice president of public relations and marketing communications for the National Confectioners Association, recently told Food Business News. "We've certainly seen some of that in the candy industry before with Red Hots and Atomic Fireball, but this is taking those flavors to the next level and really experimenting with different heat sources as well as different sweet sources." Skittles Sweet Heat and Starburst Sweet Heat will begin spicing up the candy aisle this December. Prices will run you from $0.99 for a single pack to $3.19 for a big bag. Other mouthwatering new treats to keep an eye out for are Starburst Minis Sours, which are also set to debut this December. via: www.instyle.com/news/spicy-skittles-spicy-starbursts My take may get a lot of backfire (pun totally intended) but this just proves that chocolate candy is superior over sugary, basically plastic candy. Like I know chocolate isn't exactly the best thing for you, but could you explain to me what a sour patch kid is made out of? Also who am I kidding about backfire? Nobody ever says shit about my blogs, I could write a suicide note on DOL and nobody would comment on facebook. But as I was saying, chocolate rules supreme in the candy game, and I will proudly wave that flag until I die from diabetes in about 30 years. But honestly, chocolate knows it doesn't have to stoop to such a level to create buzz and sell products. Chocolate is great just as is. She is a classic beauty. She knows she is beautiful without make up. Chocolate has confidence. Chocolate doesn't need any fancy botox. No gimmicks here. That's why this has been one of the most popular candy items for over 100 years. Sure, sometimes Reese's will shove a bunch of shit into itself. But that is just to enhance the product. Sure it might create a little buzz by default, and get the bloggers going, but what do you expect? It's fucking Reese's. Whatever they're doing, they're all right. They're an American Staple. Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Reese's. Sure they could just sell plain old regular Reese's cups and pieces and be just fine. Ole Mr and Mrs Reese's (I know that's not how it actually works, but just roll with it) wouldn't be worrying about paying the bills. But you know what? Reese's wouldn't do that. They know they can keep improving and growing as a product. It's like if the Beatles just kept making songs like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You". Of course, it's great music, but when you have Sgt. Pepper in you, you gotta let it out. You owe it to everybody to experiment. That's all Reese's is doing. Reese's big cup with pieces shoved in it is their A Day In The Life. A classic snickers would never need to pull some stunt like this. They're confident in what they are. Snickers just says "I'm a fucking snickers, take it or leave it". Could you imagine if they tried to pull some spicy sriracha snickers? No thanks! That's gross. They don't need to prove to people they don't suck like skittles. Now will I try these? Of course I will. You had me at "mango chipotle" so I guess the chewy plastic companies win here. But I've tried a ton of stuff I don't like. Like basically every vegetable I've ever had, and flossing. But the point still remains, chocolate candy is superior, and this desperate gimmick proves it. Chocolate does not need to stoop to this gimmicky level. Like the Yankees would never just be like "We decided tomorrow that they're going to introduce a lime green alternate jersey". They're the Yankees. They don't do that, they aren't the Rays. Same goes with chocolate, it knows who it is.
The New England Patriots will be a sponsor of Gay Bowl 17, the event’s organizing committee announced Saturday night. Boston’s LGBT Flag Football group shared the news during its spring season awards banquet.
The Patriots have confirmed the sponsorship with Outsports. Earlier this year Patriots owner Bob Kraft joined the league at its annual scholarship dinner (picture below), which honored local LGBT high school athlete Chris Morse. The Gay Bowl was created in 2002 as an annual national championship tournament for LGBT flag football teams. About 40 teams are expected to compete in several divisions, including a women’s division, from across North America. The San Diego Bolts are the five-time defending champion. Boston previously hosted the Gay Bowl in 2003. That year the Patriots send former player Andre Tippet to the event; Tippet officiated the tournament’s ceremonial coin toss. The Patriots have been one of the most LGBT-inclusive NFL teams, signing an amicus brief several years ago in support of same-sex marriage. via: www.outsports.com/2017/5/21/15670934/new-england-patriots-gay-bowl What a move by the Pats. Not only is it a great decision in the "just being a good human being" department but it is also a brilliant PR move. Do you understand how smart this is? I'm not sure if you're aware but the Patriots are not exactly beloved by the national public. With the exception of 5 and a half states, and MAYBE some in the bay area, most people despise the Patriots.
Nearly two decades of dominance and some light cheating scandals will do that. 5 (FIVE) Super Bowl wins definitely doesn't help either. Mix in strong Trump connections, the smuggest/most smug (idk which one it is and don't care enough to check) coach of all time and the beautiful Tom Brady and BAM you have the ultimate recipe for being the villain.
Well, the villains just became the first NFL team to go all in on supporting LGBT rights. The Patriots are the first and as of right now only NFL team to support the Gay Bowl. Way to drop the ball there, 49ers. So now if you bash the Patriots just know you're bashing the only team to support the gay community. So you're a bigot. Real nice! Did I mention it is 2017 and they are the first ones? Kind of a big deal. Not only are they winners on the field, but they are winners in life as well. True trailblazers. But keep hating them because they are the most successful organization in all of sports, and inclusive the gay community. Yep, they're the ones who are ass holes... Not only that, I'd have to imagine this move helps add some more members to Patriot Nation. You'd have to think this gets a new market of fans. Bob Kraft knows that that rainbow money is still green at the end of the day. P.S. The name "Gay Bowl" is fucking hilarious. Sorry. I'm in all on supporting the cause, I've been very vocal about DOL being pro gay AF, but just calling it "Gay Bowl" is funny to me. V funny, in fact. Just seeing that written out makes my inner 12 year old geek out and if you can't laugh at it, then you're the homophobic one. It's just a very spot on name. Credit to the gays here, they hit the nail on the head with this one. We all know they aren't ones for subtlety. Double P.S. I'm so intrigued by the whole notion of this. Like do you have to prove you're gay to play? Are there like screenings at the tryout? Could you imagine a straight dude, who just loves football and wants a chance to keep playing, pretending just to play the game he loves? What if a team was using straight players. Imagine that cheating scandal for a second? Those headlines would be the funniest thing of all time. Ultra Rare TRIPLE P.S. Nice to see San Diego finally win something, especially after losing the Chargers. Song: Dragonfly Artist: Pumarose Album: The Witch Literally just found this song, but I like it. That's all it takes to make it on DOL! They don't even have a wikipedia page. I'm so cool!
Well, well, well what do we have here? By the looks of it we have ourselves a series. (At least for the moment) Something I would've never expected after how games 1 and 2 played out. The C's never held a lead, for even a second at either home game. Not ideal. In game 2 they looked like a middle school team and lost by about 500 points. Not exactly how you want to come out at home in the Conference Finals after getting embarrassed in game 1. Oh and Isaiah Thomas DONE for the playoffs. You had all the ingredients for a sweep. Yet somehow that isn't what played out. Last night the C's were at least competitive to start. They lead 2-0 and 5-3 early, which given how the series had been going, at least finally gave Celtics' fans a brief moment to see their team hold a lead in the Conference Finals. Then Kevin Love went what felt like 20-21 from 3. The Cavs were in control, but at least we weren't down 50 at half again, so I considered that a win. C's were down 21 in the 3rd on the road. You'd think they were done, but the Celtics fought and clawed back to steal a game in Cleveland. At the very least they avoided getting swept by Lebron and company which was really all I ever wanted going into the series. Thank you Avery. Speaking of Lebron, for someone sooo upset that he wasn't an MVP finalist, he sure took it out on the floor, especially late. These games are why Lebron is the best. You can always count on him.
At least he handled it well post game.
Now are the Cavs still in the driver seat? Of course. But without Isaiah last night the Celtics defense improved immensely. After allowing 130 points (which could've been more had the Cavs not let up) the C's "held" the Cavs to 108. Sure it took the worst playoff game Lebron has had in over 5 years, and 45% shooting from 3 to pull off the win, but a win is a win. I'm not saying the Celtics are going to somehow shock the world and pull off the most shocking 1 seed series win of all time. But what I am saying is they at least won a game. Something that seemed impossible 48 hours ago. They showed heart after being written off by the entire world. It says a lot about this collection of guys and Brad Stevens to come out and win on the defending champs homecourt, without your team MVP, after getting absolutely embarrassed in the first two games at home. Who knows maybe the C's can get a little Ewing Theory (look it up) going in Isaiah's absence? Marcus Smart isn't going to shoot 70% from behind the arch every night. But maybe someone else can pick it up Tuesday night. Now the more likely scenario is that Tuesday night Lebron will have a game 6 of the 2012 ECF like performance after laying an egg Sunday to assert his dominance and show that even the best guy in the league can have an off night. But until then I am going to get my hopes up that somehow the Celtics are actually better off with out I.T. (I don't believe that) and can at least make things more difficult for the Cavs instead of rolling over and dying after an embarrassing start at home. The Celtics' twitter account said it best.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 22, 2017
I know this story broke yesterday, but I wasn't able to blog it and LG deserves a proper goodbye. Most Patriot fans felt going into the off season that LeGarrette Blount probably wasn't coming back. After adding two running backs in Mike Gillislee, and Rex Berkhead it appeared the days of Blount Force Trauma were over in Foxboro. Over parts of 4 seasons with the Patriots, LG was an absolute monster. In his final season with the Pats, Blount had a career year. Led the league in rushing touchdowns with 18 and amassed over 1100 yards. His first 1,000 yard campaign since his rookie year of 2010 with the Bucs. He was a huge reason why the Patriots were able to start 3-0 without Tom Brady this year. He ended up being AFC player of the Month for what he did in September. legarrette-blount-is-your-afc-offensive-player-of-the-month.html LG's hard power running made him a quick fan favorite in New England. His genuine support of the Celtics, and celebrations with the endzone militia only solidified his place in the heart's of Patriot fans.
After he signed with the Steelers in 2014 after his monster 2013 with the Pats, it appeared the marriage was over. However he was released by the Steelers thanks to first fish bowling a car with Le'Veon Bell, then just leaving the sidelines after he didn't get any carries in a game against the Titans. Blount then returned to the Pats and went right back to his 2013 form in limited playing time.
To me the highlight of Blount's career will be both Colts playoff games he played in. In the 2013 divisional round he ran all over the Colts for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 43-22 win. I was there, it was a horrible rainy night, and Blount just dominated the Colts. It was also the first moments where we saw Jamie Collins (RIP) play at an All-Pro caliber level. Then the following year in the AFC championship game Blount again gutted the Colts, this time for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns. But of course, that was just because he balls were "deflated".... Although he didn't have a great game in either Super Bowl he played in, LG was a major reason why both teams got to each game. In 2015 after he went down with an injury the Patriots inability to run the ball ultimately cost them a chance at another Super Bowl. During his time with the Patriots Blount scored 34 touchdowns and won two championships. I have no issue with him leaving to try to get paid. It kind of bums me out he didn't have a ton of interest in free agency. He ultimately signed a 1 year 2.8 million dollar deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, and after Chris Long, he is the 2nd member of the 2016 Super Bowl Champ Patriots to end up in the city of brotherly love. It was probably time for both parties to go in a different direction, but I will always appreciate what LeGarrette meant to the Patriots, I wish him the best of luck in Philly. Before we get into the review, a little house keeping. This is a new little wrinkle I'm going to add to DOL. More music coverage. It's something I've wanted to do for a while, just haven't gotten around to it yet. Plus even though I listen to a ton of music, and IMO have a decent knowledge about the subject, I feel like my ability to give a traditional, inner workings review just isn't possible, so instead I'm just gonna talk about music in a way I feel comfortable. Sounds, comparisons to other music, and of course how it makes me feel. A true dozo spin to things. There has to be a market for this somewhere, damnit! I do need to get back to my roots with more funny content, but I also think it's important to get more music coverage on here, as music is probably my favorite part about being alive, and is one of my big ideas for Barstool. I think they need more music coverage, and content with musicians to keep building the empire. Similarly to how SNL has a musical guest every week, and sometimes includes them in bits. But enough about that, don't need anybody stealing my idea. So what's going to happen here is I'm going to give my honest spin the latest music and try to get more of my own voice out there. I'm going to try to cover more than just alt-rock, but that will be the majority of these. I don't want these to be your classic, traditional magazine album reviews, I just the opinion of ole dozie in the music game. Okay, let's get started! Basics: "After Laughter" by Paramore. Released May 12. Fueled By Ramen. Paramore has been a band that I kinda like, but never really truly dove into. Until now. I know the majority of their singles, but not much more than that. I can remember being a sophomore in high school when they absolutely blew up with their album "Riot" that had "Misery Business" which was a landmark song in the late 00's emo/scene/whatever you want to call it movement. Even if you weren't into that kind of music you knew that song, as it was huge crossover hit. I'll still rock out to that whenever I hear it. It's a classic. But with Paramore as a whole I've always liked their stuff that I heard on the radio, but never have listened to any of their albums through it's entirety before. Like I couldn't tell you a Paramore deep track for all the money in the world. Which means After Laughter is my first full on Paramore experience, and I gotta say, absolutely loved it. They shake off the "pop-punk" label in this record with a much more synthesized, 80's vibe to it. Still some very emotional lyrics, but with a little island twist to it. Very new-wave like. Extreme 80's sound to it. Also has little pieces of Blondie, RHCP, No Doubt, The 1975, and Haim mixed in. The album kicks off with the lead single "Hard Times", which is quickly becoming one of my favorites after about 50 listens over the last month since it was released as a single. Between Hayley Williams vocals that and the little repetitive guitar riff, it's just a fun summer-y song, even given the lyric content, which makes it relatable to everybody. I mean who hasn't had hard times? I just can't help but sing along every time I hear it. I absolutely love the keyboards before the initial break down into the chorus, but to me the beat is what makes the song to me. Such a cool combination of a pop-rocky song with some tropical island beats and riffs. This just needs Michael Scott on the steel drum. After Laughter has a combination of still pretty "emo" lyrics at times in songs combined with a 80's sounding up-beat tempo. To me a lot of the album has like a calypso-emo vibe, which I actually dig a lot. Never heard anything quite like it. It's an album you can just listen to without skipping a song (for the most part), which I've done 3 times already. Rose-Colored Boy just makes me think The 1975 with that opening. Kinda reminds me Love Me and The Sound. Ultimate dance through the pain song. It's like, this is how I feel, just let me feel it. Which I absolutely love. Obviously it'd be nice to be like the rose-colored boy, but sometimes, you simply just can't. You want an infectious bass line to start? Check out Told You So. This song's make up is so unique to me, just so many different sounds, I cannot give it the proper credit it deserves with my simple brain but know it's single for a reason. This shit is catchy AF. The throw me into the fire part towards the end reminds me a lot of HAIM's "If I Could Change Your Mind". Cool video as well. I can't help it, but Forgiveness just reminds me Anna Faris as Samantha James in "Just Friends". It's obviously a lot better than that fake song from 2005 though. Although tbh it's not one of my favorites on After Laughter. Fake Happy starts slow and accoustic then quickly shifts to a synth based story of how people just want to appear to be happy, when they actually aren't. The way I saw it was as a commentary of how fake happy people will try to portray themselves, especially in the age of social media. Something I think the majority of us, myself included have been guilty of. Just such an emotional, beautiful song. The line "If I smile with my teeth, bet you'd believe me, if I smile with my teeth, think I'd believe me?" speaks volumes. On 26 we get a classic, stripped down Paramore, similar to "The Only Exception". This song has been a favorite of the few people I have already talked to the album about. While definitely kinda sad at times, I feel like it overall has a very positive message about holding onto hope, which is needed after songs like "Rose-Colored Boy" and "Fake Happy." I'm a big "the world sucks" guy at time too, but there definitely times where you gotta just try your best to be positive and not let all the shitty outside stuff bring you down, which I feel is very eloquently displayed in this song. First time I heard her say "They say that dreamin is free, but I wouldn't care what it cost me' that shit gave me goosebumps. Pool is probably my favorite song on here as of now. Just from a composition standpoint. Love the intro chimes, the violin, and of course Hayley's vocals. Can't get enough of this one. The big comparison I've seen online a lot is an "80's only exception", which seems very fitting. This one reminds me of Metric. I don't know all the Paramore drama but apparently this song is about drummer Zac Farro who left the band in 2010 and rejoined this year. Regardless the message rings true, we shouldn't hold onto grudges. This is where the album starts to turn and get a little more towards Paramore's original sound. Definitely still has a little bit of the island vibe like the rest of the beginning, but after here I'd say those 80's/island vibes definitely begin to fade. Idle Worship has that classic early Paramore sound. Nice changeup to have a little homage to their older sound. Doesn't sound like the rest of the album, but it's still an enjoyable track. Awesome bass to start, then we're surprised to not hear Hayley Williams, can't really understand this one. Definitely has that school emo thing going. Forgettable if we're being honest. Album starts strong and then kinda fades off with stuff like this. The album ends with the piano ballad "Tell Me How". How is Hayley supposed to feel after what feels like a breakup? After guitarist Jeremy Davis left the group in late 2015 and later became entrenched in a legal battle with Hayley Williams about compensation, it appears this song is a response to what happened. That is what I just got for a littler internet research. As for the song, I enjoyed it, but definitely like the more upbeat, as I called it "calypso-emo" much more So that's it for the first official DOL album review, definitely still a work in progress. I don't know if I'll break down every song in the future. I just did that mainly because I had the first 7 or so songs done with that, and felt it'd be weird to just not do the entire thing. To me this album starts strong then kind of goes down a little towards the end. I'm just a big fan of the first nine songs, the last three are whatever to me. I'd definitely recommend checking this album After Laughter out. If I had to rank my three favorite songs I'd probably go Pool, Hard Times and Fake Happy. Thanks for reading and let me know what you thought about After Laughter!
Rocker Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the lead singer of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, has died at age 52, and police said Thursday that his death is being investigated as a possible suicide.
Cornell, who had been on tour, died Wednesday night in Detroit, Cornell's representative Brian Bumbery said in a statement to The Associated Press. Cornell had performed a Detroit concert with Soundgarden that night. Bumbery called the death "sudden and unexpected" and said his wife and family are in shock. The statement said the family would be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause and have asked for privacy. Detroit police spokesman Michael Woody told AP Thursday morning that he couldn't release details about why police are investigating the death as a possible suicide, but noted there were "basic things observed at the scene." Cornell died at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel, Woody said. He said Cornell's wife had called a family friend and asked him to check on Cornell; the friend forced open a hotel room door and found Cornell on the bathroom floor. The Wayne County Medical Examiner's office will make an official determination about the cause of death. An autopsy is being conducted Thursday and some information from it is expected to be released later in the day, Wayne County spokeswoman Lisa Croff said. News of Cornell's death prompted scores of tweets expressing sadness. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry tweeted: "Very sad news about Chris Cornell today. A sad loss of a great talent to the world, his friends and family. Rest In Peace." With his powerful, nearly four-octave vocal range, Cornell was one of the leading voices of the 1990s grunge movement with Soundgarden, which emerged as one of the biggest bands out of Seattle's emerging music scene, joining the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Formed in 1984 by Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto, Soundgarden's third studio album, "Badmotorfinger," in 1991 spawned popular singles "Jesus Christ Pose," ''Rusty Cage" and "Outshined" that received regular play on alternative rock radio stations. Cornell also collaborated with members of what would become Pearl Jam to form Temple of the Dog, which produced a self-titled album in 1991 in tribute to friend Andrew Wood, former frontman of Mother Love Bone. Three years later, Soundgarden broke through on mainstream radio with the album "Superunknown," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Record in 1995. It included hit singles "Spoonman," ''Fell on Black Days," ''Black Hole Sun," ''My Wave" and "The Day I Tried to Live." Soundgarden disbanded in 1997 due to tensions in the band, and Cornell pursued a solo career. In 2001, he joined Audioslave, a supergroup that included former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford. The band released three albums in six years and also performed at a concert billed as Cuba's first outdoor rock concert by an American band, though some Cuban artists have disputed that claim. Audioslave disbanded in 2007, but Cornell and Soundgarden reunited in 2010 and released the band's sixth studio album, "King Animal" in 2012. Cornell also released four solo studio albums and a solo live album. He released the single "The Promise" in March on iTunes, with all proceeds going to the International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development non-governmental organization. In addition to his music, Cornell also became involved in philanthropy and started the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect. via: abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/representative-rocker-chris-cornell-died-age-52-47480300 Well this was shitty news to wake up to. Chris Cornell has died. He was just 52. The front man of Soundgarden and Audioslave died last night after a Soundgarden concert in Detroit from an apparent suicide. Never like to see that, you always hope it's not suicide, but given the circumstances, it seems likely. What's even crazier, is that he tweeted about his excitement for the show just hours before.
The impact Cornell left on music cannot be understated. Whether it be from his time as the lead singer of bands like Soundgarden or Audioslave, his solo career, or from his brief time with Temple of the Dog that created one of my favorite songs of the grunge era.
Cornell was one of the most important figures of the early 90's Seattle grunge movement. Cornell always had a voice that I enjoyed, he had crazy range. The comparisons between him and Eddie Vedder are easy, but they always reminded me of each other, given their ranges, the Seattle connection, and music they've made together.
I wasn't a big Soundgarden fan, just because I don't know a ton of their catalog, as most of their success was before I was like 8. But what I've heard I've enjoyed, and would probably like what I haven't experienced. But everybody knows Black Hole Sun, even if you don't know them, you know that song, as it was one of the biggest rock hits of the 90's. I'll best remember Cornell for is his time with Audioslave, a super group made up of Cornell, and the band part of Rage Against the Machine. I remember my dad had their self-titled Debut that had "Cochise", "Show Me How To Live" and of course "Like a Stone", which is still one of the best songs I've ever heard. I must've heard it a thousand times as a kid. I started really getting into rock tight around 2002 when this came out. Just when I was really starting to get into music, and Audioslave's debut album was a big part of that. It's just horrible news, he was greatly talented and leaves behind a wife and two kids. RIP Chris Cornell. |
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