Remembering Chester Bennington of Linkin Park

2024-07-20

Chester Bennington of Linkin Park performing on the stage. Years later, the Chester Bennington death still hurts.

Years later, the Chester Bennington death still hurts – Author: Anne Erickson, Photo via Anne Erickson

July 20, 2017, is a date that Linkin Park fans will remember forever. That date, of course, was when the great Chester Bennington passed away. Even years later, it stings. Looking back, it really does seem like another era. I mean, it was before the pandemic, which changed the world so much for years. Yes, 2017 seems like a lifetime ago, but the Chester Bennington death still hurts.

Chester Bennington Death Still Hurts

I feel like everyone who is a Linkin Park fan remembers what they were doing the moment they heard that Bennington had passed away. I feel the same way about Soundgarden fans, when they first learned of Chris Cornell’s death. I remember both moments too well, actually. But, when it came to Bennington, I just remember being in a total state of shock. It seemed so impossible. Linkin Park had recently released a new album, “One More Light.” They also had a major tour up ahead for the summer, which my mom and I had tickets to see. My mom is actually the one who told me about Bennington’s death, and I totally didn’t believe it at first. But, very quickly, it became real.

It seemed like everything was going so well in the Linkin Park camp. How could Bennington have been so unhappy at that moment in his life to take his own life? We’ll never know. We just don’t know what was inside Bennington’s head and heart at the time. But, it’s sad. It’s heartbreaking.

Bennington was such a talented musician and brought hope to so many fans. Linkin Park’s music has always been a voice for adolescents. That’s probably why they keep attracting new, young fans, even when their songs are decades old. Song such as “In the End” and “Somewhere I Belong” speak to the adolescent condition of wanting to find one’s own identity. “Lying from You” is another great example, where Bennington screams, “I can’t pretend I’m who you want me to be.” What kid hasn’t felt like they have to act a certain way or be a certain way to appease their authority figures? It’s such a universal feeling at that age.

Bennington brought hope to so many people, but it wasn’t enough. He took his own life on July 20, 2017. This wasn’t too long after he spoke at Cornell’s funeral, which added a layer to the shock. I remember learning about Cornell, too. He had played Detroit the night before, and I was supposed to photograph that show, but I got sick. So, I skipped it. Then, I woke up to a bunch of text messages telling me that Cornell had taken his own life after the Detroit gig. Both are such losses and truly devastating.

But, as we remember Bennington, and Cornell, for that matter, let’s remember the beautiful things. Let’s remember all of the great music that they gave us. As with all artists, their art outlives their human existence. So, thank you for the timeless music and memories. By the way, I really hope Linkin Park doesn’t try touring again with a fill-in vocalist. Nobody can do that role justice expect Chester Bennington. He really was Linkin Park.

Anne Erickson
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Posted by Anne Erickson | Alternative, Music, Rock, Rock News

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