ABC/ Paula Lobo
OneRepublic delivered a moving tribute to Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell on Friday’s Good Morning America.
Joined by Cornell’s 12-year-old daughter, Toni, the band performed a stirring rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” in New York City’s Central Park.
“’Hallelujah,’ of all the song in the world, is the not a song you want to mess up, and then on top of that, I was stressed for Toni,” OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder tells ABC Radio. “I was thinking wait a minute, I’m nervous about this just because my voice is tired. I’ve done this a billion times a billion. She’s 12!”
Ultimately, Toni sang the song alongside Ryan with poise and composure, giving the audience chills.
“She crushed it,” Ryan says. “She’s so composed on stage, it’s crazy. I was playing Mario Kart when I was 12.”
Cornell died by suicide May 18 while on tour in Detroit. Bennington, a longtime friend of the Soundgarden frontman, sang “Hallelujah” at Cornell’s funeral. Then, on what would’ve been Cornell’s 53rd birthday, the 41-year-old Bennington was found dead July 20 in his home outside Los Angeles. His death was also ruled a suicide.
Linkin Park was scheduled to perform on GMA this morning as part of the Summer Concert Series, but the appearance, along with the band’s North American tour, was canceled following Bennington’s death. OneRepublic was recruited to fill in and pay tribute to both late rock icons.
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