Rock singer Chris Cornell, who gained fame as the frontman of Soundgarden and Audioslave, has died at the age of 52, according to his representative.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Brian Bumbery said Cornell died last night in Detroit.

Mr Bumbery called the death "sudden and unexpected" and said his wife and family were shocked.

The statement said the family would be working closely with the medical examiner to determine the cause and asked for privacy.

As the lead singer for Seattle-based Soundgarden, Cornell helped inspire the 90s grunge rock movement.

Soundgarden broke through on mainstream radio with the album Superunknown, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 in the US 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.

He was also a Grammy award-winning, Golden Globe-nominated singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer and lyricist.

He later became involved in philanthropy and started the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.