Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni shocks fans with ‘haunting’ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tribute
Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni, 21, wowed music fans with her emotional rendition of Soundgarden’s “Fell on Black Days” to honor her late father at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
“Beautiful tribute to her Dad,” wrote one fan on Instagram. “Her voice is amazing. It holds the same emotional power as her Dad. 🙌🙌🙌.”
“Lovely tribute to her father. Well done. I hear him in her voice,” noted another, while another praised the singer: “You did your dad proud. Just beautiful, Toni. 🙌❤️.”
Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni paid tribute to her late father at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday. REUTERS
Toni sang the Soundgarden song “Fell on Black Days.” Getty Images for RRHOF
Soundgarden was one of the inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Cornell was the lead singer of the influential grunge band.
He died by suicide in 2017. He was 52 years old.
Music fans praised Toni for her performance. FilmMagic
Chris Cornell died by suicide in 2017. Stefanie Keenan
Following his death, Toni, then 12, wrote a heartbreaking letter to her father that was shared on Facebook.
“Daddy, Let me start by saying how much I love you and how much you mean to me,” she wrote. “You are my idol, someone I’ve always looked up to. You were always there for me. You pushed me forward every day, and you still do.”
“Whenever I cry or feel like there’s no way I can go on, I hear your voice, ‘Don’t sit worrying peanut. Worry is a waste of time, I’m ok,’” it read in part.
Over the years, Toni has performed in public, honoring the late singer.
Toni was only 12 when her dad died. WireImage
Toni has paid tribute to her father over the years. NINA PROMMER/EPA-EFE/REX
In 2017, she performed a tribute to her dad and his friend Chester Bennington by singing “Hallelujah” with Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic on “Good Morning America.”
The following year, she released a recording of a duet with her father singing the Prince song “Nothing Compares 2 U” on Father’s Day.
“You gave me courage when I didn’t have any. You believed in me when I didn’t. I miss your love everyday,” Toni wrote in posts that accompanied the song on Instagram and YouTube. “Recording this song with you was a special and amazing experience I wish I could repeat 100 times over and I know you would too.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
