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FILTER's RICHARD PATRICK Says CHRIS CORNELL Saved His Life

May 19, 2017

Richard Patrick has credited Chris Cornell for saving his life when they met a decade and a half ago while they were both trying to get sober.

The FILTER frontman was one of many musicians who paid tribute on social media to Cornell, the SOUNDGARDEN singer who was found dead in his hotel room after performing a show in Detroit on Wednesday evening. Officials later confirmed he had hanged himself.

Patrick wrote on Instagram: "On September 28, 2002, I was ready to stop drinking so I went to a facility in Malibu to get sober. I was extremely skeptical and as an atheist I did not want to really try. Newcomers like me always want to shit-can everything. I woke up to some old guy saying, 'I hear you're a singer.' I said 'yes' and he said, 'There's some other guy here from a band called GARDENS OF SOUND or some shit. You guys might get along.' He was talking about Chris Cornell.

"I took my first baby steps into a program of recovery that lasted all this time with Chris's help. Chris said, 'I know this shit feels goofy, but it's the only deal in town that seems to work.' I wouldn't have gotten it if Chris didn't legitimize the whole thing for me. For 28 days, Chris helped lead the way.

"You saved my life, buddy. I'll never forget you. #chriscornell #gonetoosoon"

Cornell admitted to becoming a "daily drug user" at the age of just 13 and returning to drug use after SOUNDGARDEN disbanded in 1997. He said he used "everything," describing himself as a "pioneer" in the use of OxyContin. In the mid-2000s, he went to rehab. "I'm not sure if it was the best place for me, but it worked," he later said.

On September 28, 2002, I was ready to stop drinking so I went to a facility in Malibu to get sober. I was extremely skeptical and as an atheist I did not want to really try. New comers like me always want to shit-can everything. I woke up to some old guy saying "I hear you're a singer." I said "yes" and he said, "there's some other guy here from a band called gardens of sound or some shit. You guys might get along." He was talking about Chris Cornell. I took my first baby steps into a program of recovery that lasted all this time with Chris's help. Chris said "I know this shit feels goofy but it's the only deal in town that seems to work." I wouldn't have gotten it if Chris didn't legitimize the whole thing for me. For 28 days, Chris helped lead the way. You saved my life buddy. I'll never forget you. #chriscornell #gonetoosoon

A post shared by Richard Patrick (@filter_richard_patrick) on

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