Toni Cornellis following in her father’s footsteps.
Before his tragic death at 52, Chris and Toni worked together on music, and Toni’s first performance ever was alongside her dad. The duo performed “Redemption Song” at the Beacon Theater in New York City in 2015.
Two years later, during aGood Morning Americaappearance, TonisangLeonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” alongside OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder to honor her late father and his close friendChester Bennington.
“It’s an honor to perform this for my dad and Chester and to sing for them,” Toni said, perABC News.
On Father’s Day last year, Tonishared a duetthat she and Chris had sung ofPrince‘s “Nothing Compares 2 U” on YouTube.
Courtesy Toni Cornell
“Daddy, I love you and miss you so much,” she wrote alongside the song. “You were the best father anyone could ask for. Our relationship was so special, and you were always there for me. You gave me courage when I didn’t have any. You believed in me when I didn’t. I miss your love every day.”
She continued: “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. Happy Father’s Day daddy, nothing compares to you. – Toni.”
Chris was found dead in his Michigan Hotel room on May 18, 2017. A month later, Toni and her sister, Lillian Jean, 19,wrote lettersto their dad in observance ofFather’s Day.
George Pimentel/WireImage
“I always tookwhat you said to heart,” she said. “Probably because everything you said was so smart.”
At theGrammy Awardsthis past February, Toni and her brother Christopheraccepted their father’s posthumous Grammy award.
Toni and Chris Cornell.Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
“It was very difficult,” Toni told reporters backstage at the award ceremony.
“We miss him so much and we saw him work on this so hard — he was always working on his music [because] it was his passion,” she continued. “It was really sad in a way to feel like he couldn’t be there himself to accept it for something that he was so proud of and worked so hard on.”
“We’re so proud of him,” she said. “It was amazing.”
If you or someone you know is showing warning signs of suicide, consider contacting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK, texting the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or seeking help from a professional.
source: people.com
