Chris Cornell’s daughter Toni, 21, surprised music fans at the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony with an emotional performance of Soundgarden’s “Fell on Black Days” in honor of her late father.
“A wonderful tribute to her father,” one fan wrote on Instagram. “Her voice is amazing. Has the same emotional power as her father. 🙌🙌🙌”
“A wonderful tribute to her father. Well done. I can hear his voice in her voice,” one wrote, while another praised the singer: “You made your father proud. So beautiful, Toni. 🙌❤️.”
Soundgarden was among the inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Cornell was the lead singer of an influential grunge band.
He died by suicide in 2017. He passed away at the age of 52.
After her father’s death, 12-year-old Toni wrote a heartbreaking letter to him, which 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’re my idol and someone I’ve always looked up to. You’ve always been there for me. You pushed me forward every day, and you still do.”
“Every time I cry or feel like I can’t go on anymore, I hear your voice saying, ‘Please sit back and don’t worry. Worrying is a waste of time, I’ll be fine,'” it read in part.
Toni has been performing publicly in honor of the late singer for years.
In 2017, she paid tribute to her father and his friend Chester Bennington by singing “Hallelujah” on Good Morning America with Ryan Tedder and OneRepublic.
The following year, she released a recording of a duet with her father singing Prince’s song “Nothing Compares 2 U” on Father’s Day.
“You gave me courage when I had nothing. You believed in me when I had nothing. I miss your love every day,” Toni wrote in a post accompanying the song on Instagram and YouTube. “Recording this song with you was a special and amazing experience. I would love to repeat it 100 times and I know you will too.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
