Toni Cornell is remembering her rock legend father Chris Cornell.
The 17-year-old—alongside younger brother Christopher "Cball" Cornell—penned an emotional tribute to the late Soundgarden singer, who died by suicide in 2017, on what would've been his 58th birthday.
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is not just a song. It's what I truly think when I look back at our life and memories together. You were always playing music for us, singing with us, dancing with us," she wrote in a July 20 Instagram post, referencing Prince's 1985 hit which her father covered in 2015. "Losing you was one of the hardest things we had to go through. They say it gets easier with time, but as the days and years go by, and since we last saw you, we are missing you even more."
Toni explained that feeling only grows stronger as they celebrate each new milestone since his passing.
"Today, on your birthday, I think so so many join me in saying we miss you the MOST!!!" Toni continued. "The world would not be the same without you in it, and will never be the same with you gone."
However, Toni maintained that Chris' heart and message still lives on in the music that he created throughout his life as both a member of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave.
"You wrote the soundtrack to not just our lives, but for millions, and we will forever hear it. We feel you with us as your words, love and all of the memories shaped our world, made us who we are and are forever ingrained in the fabric of our souls," Toni wrote. "On your birthday and every other day, we celebrate you and remember how very lucky we were that you were ours."
"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."