Chris Cornell’s Daughter Remembers Him in Poignant Birthday Tribute

“Happy Birthday to the greatest dad and most incredible human whose life continues to leave an incredible mark on everyone he touches,” she concluded. “I love you, we love you, Toni and Cball.” 

Alongside her heartfelt message, Toni included a video of her as a child singing along with her dad in the backyard. As Chris strums his guitar, he encourages Toni to sing an acoustic rendition of Eminem and Rihanna‘s 2010 song “Love the Way You Lie” along with him. 

Toni’s younger brother Christopher then joins in on the jam session, but can’t seem to pinpoint the verse that he wants to sing in the song. “I don’t know that part,” Chris concedes, smiling at his son. “But you’re doing really good!” 

In the same video, Christopher can be seen talking with his mom Vicky Cornell about Eminem’s rap in the song. The clip then cuts to Christopher passionately rapping along to Eminem’s 2010 single “Not Afraid” while his dad strums his guitar from the chair next to him.  

Since Chris’ passing in 2017, his family has continued to honor his legacy. Toni and Christopher, alongside The Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation and the Addiction Policy Forum, launched the “Stop the Stigma” educational campaign in 2020. The same year, Chris’ eldest daughter, Lily Cornell Silver, who he shared with Susan Silver, created an IGTV series titled Mind Wide Open about the importance of mental health.

“As someone who has suffered trauma and loss as well as struggled with anxiety and depression, I know how important it is to have a space to talk openly and without shame about these subjects,” Lily shared in a statement at the time. “There is so much value, especially for people in my generation, in knowing that everyone struggles with mental health at some point in their lives, despite our society’s dismissive tendencies around emotional wellbeing.”