I understand his frustration. I don't condone suicide but I refuse to battle about the subject because there's never any telling what one person is going through.
Shocked, numbed, and confused only begin to describe how I'm truly feeling about all of this. This band was solely responsible for helping me discover my love of music, and for that, I'm forever grateful. This band has been a major part of my life for nearly 10 years. So much quality music with such variety, emotion, and boldness. I especially felt awful after realizing I had somewhat harshly criticized OML when it first released. I really should have given it more of a chance then. Now, it will be very difficult to listen to, knowing how it all ends... I can't help but wonder if Chester was trying to reach out to us for help, but through his music, rather than directly. Some of those song titles are just so prophetic, it's truly eerie. I don't want to baselessly speculate, but I really do have this gut-wrenching feeling that OML may have actually been Chester's way of saying goodbye to his family, his band-mates, to us, for good. No matter what happens next, I will always keep Linkin Park in my memory, as one of the greatest bands I had ever heard in my formative years. R. I. P. Chester Bennington, you will be missed more than you'll ever know. Thank you for everything you accomplished in your lifetime, as a musician and as a person.
I hope the band continues, to honor the name '' Linkin Park '' and leave Chester proud. Maybe Mike can handle the vocals alone. (or maybe they invite another vocalist) We'll miss chester forever, but his art is still here and will help us as he has always helped! I love Linkin Park and I'll support their projects.
This was one of the first things I thought when reading the news. While Mike could handle a decent amount of vocals on his own, he just can't reach the ranges and pitches Chester could with ease. It is truly terrible to have to refer to Chester in the past tense, something I thought I wouldn't do until I was almost elderly (I'm 24 now). We lost one of the very best singers of our time.
I still cannot believe it. I was watching their live videos and thinking this is all some sick joke. I cannot comprehend not seeing any more live performances of chester jumping around and interacting with the crowd. Fuck. This is the most broken I've been about a death in a long long time. I've not cried this much in ages.
Guess it's too late, but there is something I really want to tell you. The happiest moment of my life, we lived together. Yes, you where there with me, You where real. Singing, jumping, screaming, making all that crowd go insane! Doing everything to make that moment something unforgettable for me. And you did it! What I felt that day (12.10.2012 - Porto Alegre, Brazil) no one else will be able to fell again; It's gone; Forever. But I will never forget; I will tell everyone; That you where there with me; Also in the saddest moments of my life, Talking to me, with your beautiful voice; Through my cheap headphones; Telling me to stay strong; To face myself, and start again; Thank you, Chester Charles Bennington I love you, and always will. Guess it's time for my first tattoo.
I just dug up my Project Revolution 2007 ticket with Chester's autograph on it. I'm going to frame it put it on my wall. Honoured to have cross paths with a man who helped me through some difficult times. It crushes me that he's gone. Shed some tears today and probably will shed some more before the nights over.
I've been a fan of LP since I was 9, I'm in my late 20's now, I'm still shocked. As much as I hate to say it, I sincerely hope LP DOESN'T continue without Chester, as it can't. There is no LP without Chester or Mike. Mike was the brain of the band, Chester was indeed the heart and soul as someone already said. I hope Mike continues with Fort Minor and rest of the band goes on with whatever side project they have.
He was the best.. R.I.P. my friend! It's really not my thing to see people as friends easily but Chester and the other members and staff of LP did everthing to give you the feeling that you were part of this big adventure. Besides that I really felt welcome through all the years of my membership at this site, in waiting lines for concerts and every other time I connected with another LP fan. It's just one big family. From that perspective I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for making my life and that of others more awesome. Stay strong through this loss. Two weeks ago at the M&G at Werchter we all got a big fat hug from Chester after two people asked for one, he spent extra time with a physically challenged kid and told him he would wear the exact same outfit that night as he did.. The man gave so much... Forever grateful. Thank you Chester.
Derek was seen in the shoutbox. This still doesn't feel real, it really doesn't. I refuse to believe it I'd also like to show you guys a story with a picture:
When I woke up after barely any sleep, I still hoped this all would be a nightmare. When I read the tweet from Mike confirming that it is true, that was one of the most heartbreaking moment of my life. When I started playing LP music again this morning, I started crying right away. This hurts so bad. Why Chester? Any LP song, title, lyrics seems so dark and sad now. They have a whole new meaning to all of us now. All of them fit Chester's struggle and he is begging help. Especially the entire One More Light album, that's like Chester's goodbye. Seriously, everyone is fighting a battle inside their head that people knows nothing about, or will never know. And so did he. Listening to LP will never be the same. How long did he think of giving up the fight. I could not think a celebrity death could hit this hard. We are all a big family, and now we have lost our most loved member. I can't even put into words how much their music has helped. I find my biggest passion in music. And we could not help him. Whatever the band decides to do, I completely support them. I think that Chester can't be replaced. He was one of a kind. They have been friends for most of their lives. I don't know if anybody has mentioned it yet, but many members have been doing a lot of backing vocals, so they have many other members in the band already who could sing in addition to Mike. Brad in Until It Breaks, Phoenix in TLTGYA, Joe in gang vocals and these three guys in many live performances, and Rob in the studio versions too.
Just woke up, teary eyes and feeling the lowest I have ever felt in years. I hardly slept as I was thinking about Chester and how lost I feel now that he's gone and I won't be able to hear his voice live ever again. I really wish yesterday was a horrible nightmare and the more time that passes by, the more I know it is in fact real and I really wish it wasn't. I really don't know how I'm going to get through today, I have my girlfriends Nan's birthday to celebrate and I just can't smile. This hurts. I'll push on though. Chester Bennington is a legend. I'm so thankful I got to tell him that 2 weeks ago. It was an absolute privilege meeting the iconic man, he will be forever missed. Much love to his family, to his friends, to Linkin Park and the whole Linkin Park fanbase and community.
well i dont know what to say, this was unexpected. i cant believe yes this is tragic. but i think linkin park as a band wont be linkin park anymore. well........
Man, it hit me like a brick wall on the drive home. Couldn't hold it in any more. Just can't believe this is it. The entire new album just takes on a new light now. I wish we could have helped somehow. Hold your loved ones close.
I'm out of words. My head hurts, I can't accept the fact that Chester's gone. I saw someone tweeted, "Hybrid Theory and Meteora all day" I was like, "What? They have more albums" I guess, someone here at LPA said that the band will be remembered only for HT and Meteora. That's sad.
I feel a bit a fraud, only logging in to talk about Linkin Park now (nine years later, huh?), but... I'm not sure that I have anything unique or meaningful to say about Chester Bennington's passing that hasn't already been said by now. I'm sad he's gone. And I'll miss him deeply. I think most people are, and will. The ubiquity of the band he was in sort of speaks for itself: everyone knows Linkin Park. But I think it's that ubiquity that stood out to me more than anything, the effect that someone whose presence was almost larger than life really had on so many people. Much as I sometimes wanted to distance myself from Linkin Park (or at least being as into them as I'd been) over the last year, I can't deny that they were and are a huge part of my life. Like, I'm genuinely not sure I listened to any other bands when I was in 7th grade. Looking back a few days ago, I probably would've cringed at the thought: "jfc, self, you couldn't have listened to anyone else back then? No Muse? No Shikari?" Evidently not. Didn't matter; I'd come 'round in that regard in the end. I could go on to describe how their music helped me out through several difficult times, but truth be told I have so many memories with them and their music I don't even know where to begin. Hybrid Theory was the first album I bought and owned myself... or ever. Before I got involved in other online forums or groups, the first one I ever joined was a tiny LP fan forum, and that was the first time I started talking to people who weren't local. Had I not been into LP at the time, I'd never have opened up to the idea of having friends online. My first live show was Chiodos and Coheed and Cambria opening for Linkin Park at Arco Arena here in California back in 2008. My seat was awful. I had the time of my life. I'd told myself that year after I saw them play in the summer for Projekt Revolution - "Okay, next time they tour I'm definitely getting M&G passes." And again in 2011, again in 2012, in 2014... Never been financially feasible, those passes. I dunno what I'd have even said to the man. "Thank you"..? I'm not immediately sure how I found out about LP, but the first songs I'd listened to were Papercut and Numb back in... 2004, 2005? I think Chester's vocals on Numb sold them to me. The only music I'd been exposed to back then was mostly bad Christian rock and whatever other radio rock wound up on those "NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC" compilations that my friend's parents would have in the background when they had me over. So to the ears and brain I had back then, Linkin Park was the best. I'd never heard music that sounded like them, and I'd never heard a voice like Chester's (all the singers I'd heard before then just droned on with no real emotion). "They do the distorted guitar bit, but they have this guy rapping while he plays guitar and then they also have a guy on turntables and then they have this dude who can sing like that and scream?" Then the lyrics. Back then, anyone that wasn't singing about God or Jesus or repenting was an absolute A+ lyricist to me. And my dad hated them. They were my favorite band. I guess I hadn't heard anyone that raw before. Just the way Chester would belt out his vocals always stuck with me. For all the sentiment peddled in the music I'd been exposed to, I simply hadn't heard anyone sing that... genuinely, I suppose. Chester's half-sung/half-growled takes defined the angsty little shit I became during my teenage years, and if it weren't for him I probably would never have gotten into properly heavy music. Or any music, to be real. I was obsessed with the band back in the day, to the point where I'd get into any and every artist they mentioned in interviews or toured with. There's not much I listen to that can't somehow be tied to them, either in the "wouldn't have been into this type of music if not for LP" sense or in the "LP toured with or mentioned this band and I really liked them" sense. Had Chester's vocals not affected me the way they did over ten years ago, I don't know that I would have ever experienced or appreciated music the way I did. I don't know that I'd be recognizable as myself if I'd never listened to them, their music made such an impact. For that alone, I'm truly grateful. Inevitably, I suppose someone might say that connections to humans you don't know personally are a waste, and that it's irrational to hold people of fame in high regard, and that life is fleeting and pointless and tragic anyway. Why feel something when there's no inherent need for it? I don't know. Sometimes you just care. Goodbye, Chester. And thank you. "Let the wind carry you home Blackbird fly away May you never be broken again Beyond the suffering you've known I hope you find your way May you never be broken again"
It's very shocking for me to find out he chose to end his life like this. To me he always looked liked a true warrior, who overcame and beaten all his demons and sang about it with great passion. I mean... he was the one figure most of us here looked up to as teenagers and even as adults. So what the hell are we supposed to do now? I know it's an egoestic thing to say, but It's just so hard... I feel like I've lost a brother or my best friend, and I didn't even meet him once in my life. Driving home this morning after my night shift I started playing the OML album in my car, and for the first time since it came out I really listened to every word and every emotion, and I could'nt stop crying right from the start. tbh I didn't like that album at first, but now everything about that album feels so natural and as much as it's hard to admit, I have to say that OML is Chester's goodbye to us/ the world. At least that's how I see it now. This album will live forever and so will Chester's voice. Chester, thank you for all of your music, love, kindness and inspiration. I hope you're in a better place now with your best mate Chris. I love you with all of my heart and will miss you forever! Rest in Peace you beatiful soul.
Nice little tribute from a radio station down here in Melbourne: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1603303636401235