Linkin Park Shares An Emotional Tribute To Chester Bennington

The music world is still recovering from the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington last week. Since the 41-year-old was found dead from an apparent suicide in his apartment, fans and fellow musicians have expressed their grief and paid tribute to his legacy. Fellow member Mike Shinoda confirmed the news of Chester’s death on Twitter and promised that the group would release an official statement once they’d had time to process the news. Today (July 24), the remaining members released their tribute, and it is devastatingly raw.

“Our hearts are broken,” they wrote of their bandmate, admitting that “the shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened.” The group recognized the impact that he had on the lives of others including his wife Talinda and their children, who described Chester as the “best husband, son, and father.” They also referenced the depression and difficulties that Chester dealt with and the impact that his openness had on fans as well as themselves. They commended him for fearlessly putting his demons on display, saying that he “brought us together and taught us to be more human.”

Last week, the band announced that they were cancelling the North American leg of their One More Light Tour in the wake of Chester’s death. This summer they toured South America and Europe in support of their latest LP and were set to bring the show to America as early as Thursday (July 27). The group implied that their future together is in question. “While we don’t know what path or future may take, we know that each of our lives was made better by you,” they wrote adding that “talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled — a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing.”

“Thank you for that gift. We love you, and miss you so much,” they ended their letter including a link to a website that includes a feed of fan responses and the contact information for the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line. Mike also posted an early photo of the group on his personal Instagram. It was taken immediately after Chester joined the band, then named Xero. The photo, dated from 1997 or 1998, shows the band when many of the members were still in college and just beginning to pursue their dreams. It is another touching tribute to all that was lost.

1997 or 1998…I think this was the first photo we ever took together. We had just told Chester that we wanted him to join the band. He said he was ready to move out from Arizona to L.A. We went to a pizza place near UCLA to hang out and talk about what to do next. The band was called Xero at the time, and we probably had less than a half a dozen songs. No flame tattoos yet, no red hair yet, most of us were still in college.

A post shared by Mike Shinoda (@m_shinoda) on Jul 24, 2017 at 9:47am PDT

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