Many artists have based their works on personal struggles but one of the most famous is Chester Bennington, an American singer/songwriter who was the leading man of rock band Linkin Park. The band have recently celebrated their 20th anniversary but tragically one member was missing from the celebration. Bennington passed away aged forty-one in 2017. In this article I will discuss Chester’s battles with depression, drug use, and how the man defied both to bring the world some of the best rock songs!
Chester Bennington was born in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) 1976. Chester expressed an interest in music from an early age idolising bands such as Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots. Tragically, Chester’s childhood was not happy as he was sexually assaulted by an unknown person. The abuse lasted until Chester was thirteen years old, and it took years for Chester to tell anyone about the abuse he suffered. Not helping this fact, Chester’s parents also divorced when he was young, he was bullied in school, and the troubled young man turned to alcohol and drugs for comfort. Despite the horrific circumstances Chester maintained his aspiration about being a musician. In 1993, Chester founded his first band ‘Sean Dowell and his Friends’ with his friend Sean Dowell.
The band was not hugely successful but after changing the band name to ‘Grey Daze’ they managed to record at least two albums Wake Me (Re.1994) and No Sun Today (Re.1997). Chester ultimately left the band in 1997, but Dowell remembered his friend fondly and shared memories of Chester after his passing.
Back in 1997, Chester temporarily quit the music industry working as a digital service firm but returned joining a band named Xero. After signing a record deal with Warner Bros, the band released their debut album Hybrid Theory under the name Linkin Park in October 2000. The track ‘In the End’ resulted in a music video which currently has over a billion views on YouTube! It is obvious through the song lyrics that the track is inspired by suicidal thoughts and negative feelings. It resonates with audiences to this day with many siting the track as a coping mechanism for them during times of mental hardship. Chester did not deny the dark side of his personality and admitted the album Hybrid Theory was inspired by his own personal inner demons. The album was critically acclaimed and was followed by five more albums; Meteora (re.2003), Minutes to Midnight (re.2007), A Thousand Suns (re.2010), Living Things (re.2012), The Hunting Party (re.2014). All albums are currently available for purchase on EBay as well as retail shops.
In 2017, the band released the album ‘One More Light’ which would be the last album Chester would release in his lifetime. Although Chester was now a father to six children and married to his 2nd wife Talinda he still struggled horrifically with his mental health suffering severe bouts of depression. In an interview Chester discussed how he felt there was ‘another version of himself that wanted to destroy him’ but he tried to combat this ‘version’ of himself through his work. A portion of the interview where Chester discussed his mental health exists with the titled ‘Depression Explained Perfectly by Chester Bennington’ which currently has over three million YouTube views.
Only two months before his own passing, Chester suffered one of the worst losses when his close friend Chris Cornell died after committing suicide aged only fifty-two. Cornell had a claim to fame being the lead vocalist/guitarist of bands such as Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog. Chester and Chris became acquainted in the early 2000s and became close over frequent collaborations on their respective albums. The two were so close that Chester became a godfather to Cornell’s son. The loss of Chris devastated Chester but he managed to perform a moving performance for his friend on the Jimmy Kimmel show in which he sang the title song of the album ‘One More Light’ which was well-received by the audience.
Only two months later, whilst on holiday, Chester was found unresponsive by his housekeeper. The cause of death was suicide. The same day Chester died was also the day Chris Cornell would have turned fifty-three.
Numerous artists from Coldplay’s Chris Martin to rapper Jay-Z, and the band Imagine Dragons paid tribute to Chester singing some of his songs, writing moving messages on their social media pages, and sending their condolences to his family. Chester’s funeral was held on July 29th with a stage being set up for performers to sing in celebration of the singer’s life and creativity.
Chester is remembered fondly by musicians and fans alike for his humble personality, amazing musical ability, and bravery for battling with his inner demons. Another person who is continuously inspired by Chester is the writer of this tribute. My name is Phoebe Vaughan, and I have faced continuous battles with own mental health. To celebrate my love of Linkin Park and Chester, I have listed my top five Linkin Park songs. I hope you enjoy!
My Top 5 Linkin Park Songs
Leave Out All the Rest – A song from the album ‘Minutes to Midnight’ which was featured on the soundtrack to the 2007 Sci-Fi film ‘Sunshine’ which is one of my favourite films. Ironically, the song was not used in the film, but the video can be viewed here.
In the End – A song from the debut album ‘Hybrid Theory’ which has one of the best music videos I have ever seen with surprisingly brilliant CGI-animation espically for early 2000s standards. The video can be viewed here.
In My Remains – This song is one of the saddest songs in Linkin Parks discography at least in my opinion. It is a song about how hard you want to fight, but how easily it is to give up, something someone who suffers with depression can relate to deeply. The song can be listened to here.
Numb – This song is a true rock anthem even with dark lyrics the beat, the instruments, and vocals are almost impossible to not dance too! The music video can be viewed here.
One Step Closer – An almost metal/rock fusion where Chester’s vocals challenge Ozzy Osborne with fantastic guitars to accompany the song. I have only recently discovered this song, but I can tell its going to be stuck in my head for awhile after listening. The video can be viewed here.
I admire how Chester Bennington took some of the most painful topics to himself and turned them into amazing ballads, rock songs, and mental anthems for the world to enjoy! He is a fine example of how to turn something so tragic into something so beautiful. He is deeply missed.
Phoebe Vaughan
Chester Bennington 1976 - 2017
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