Dozens of fans watched on as celebrities arrived at a Hollywood cemetery on Friday for the funeral of grunge rocker and Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell.

Cornell, 52, was found dead in his hotel in Detroit last week hours after the grunge band played a concert in the city. The Detroit Medical Examiners Office determined the cause of death was hanging by suicide.

A Motorcade of black SUV’s arrived at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery just before noon carrying Cornell’s family and friends. According to organisers, the private service was attended by the musician’s former band members as well as A-list of celebrities which included Brad Pitt, Courtney Love and Christian Bale, who starred in “The Promise”, a movie about the Armenian genocide that Cornell composed the music for.

A-list of celebrities which included Brad Pitt, Courtney Love and Christian Bale, who starred in “The Promise”, a movie about the Armenian genocide that Cornell composed the music for.

Outside the cemetery, dozens of fans gathered to pay tribute to the grunge rocker.
“Honestly it feels like I’ve had a death in my family,” said Regina Padilla,42, who took the day off of work and drove 40 miles to attend a public memorial service later in the day at the cemetery. “I just feel like his life was cut short,” she added.

After Soundgarden broke up in 1997, Cornell in 2001 joined members of Rage Against The Machine to form Audioslave, who released an acclaimed self-titled album. Soundgarden reunited in 2010 and embarked on their current U.S. tour in April.

Seattle-born Cornell was the latest member of the elite 1990’s grunge rock movement to die from either a drug overdose or suicide. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana killed himself in 1994, and Layne Staley of Alice in Chains and Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots both died of drug overdoses.

“A lot of his lyrics could be sad but his music was so beautiful,” said fan Chris Heathcoat,46, who brought white roses to the cemetery to pay tribute to his favourite musician.

“Chris was also like that second brother I never had that can sing my pain away or sing me to sleep or wake me up and give me the determination to move on,” he added