Daughter of the late music icon Chris Cornell, Toni Cornell has performed a special tribute to both her father and departed Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, after both took their own lives this year.
Toni took to the stage as part of Good Morning America‘s Summer Concert Series, performing a touching version of Leonard Cohen’s’Hallelujah’ with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder as members of the crowd wept and held pictures of Chester aloft – a song that held a special significance.
“It’s an honor to perform this for my dad and Chester and to sing for them,” Toni Cornell told ABC News, with Tedder adding, “Chester sang this at Chris’ funeral, and this is arguably one of the greatest songs written in the last 50 years.”
“It’s a very special song to us, and I think to most people and especially to Toni as well.”
Linkin Park were originally scheduled to play the show, but OneRepublic stepped in as their replacements following Chester’s death.
Toni has previously paid tribute to her late father in an emotional open letter, describing Cornell as her “idol”.
“You were always there for me,” she wrote. “You pushed me forward every day, and you still do.
Chester Bennington had also paid his respects to the Soundgarden icon only a month before his own death by suicide, describing Cornell’s talent as “pure and unrivaled“.
