Remembering Chester Bennington (1976–2017)

Heartbreaking. 😢

R.I.P

so much

Megan Stewart77 said:I’ve been sitting here thinking—even if they actually decided to find a new singer, I honestly have no clue who could ever step into those shoes. 😢

I just realized recently that I’ve been listening to them since the very beginning—all seventeen years they've been around. For me, this truly feels like a massive tragedy.

One of my absolute favorites is Final Mascarade. I know, kind of a weird choice to bring up now. But when you're at a concert and they start playing, every single song hits so hard that they all become your favorite in that moment. It was such an incredible feeling, and I’m just glad I got the chance to be part of it.

I can't even wrap my head around hearing anyone else besides Chester, let alone the idea of them actually looking for someone. They've been a brotherhood since 1999—they grew up together.
I keep dwelling on him—trying to figure out what broke or pushed him to this point (it's honestly hard to even talk about). I feel like Chris's passing played a role in this, even though Chester mentioned in interviews before the OML release that being alone inside his own head wasn't a good place to be. Maybe he was reaching out for help, but everyone probably thought he was doing okay. I know it’s useless to play the "what if" game, but I can't help myself.
I am so incredibly grateful I decided to go to that concert on June 27th in Budapest; getting to see them in person was always the dream. It felt like everything just fell into place perfectly.
It still doesn't feel real—I was just listening to AT&T and had to remind myself he isn't here anymore. It's all so surreal.
I’m out with friends, laughing and talking, but he's constantly on my mind. It's probably not the healthiest way to be, but his death hit me incredibly hard.

Rachel Davis said:I think it’s way too soon. Everyone else needs time to process what happened first, and honestly, that might take forever. I could probably put out some old stuff, but continuing without Chester? I don't know, maybe, but it feels unlikely.
I honestly can't even wrap my head around this news. I didn't think the death of a rock star would hit me this hard, but I guess Linkin Park was more than just some ordinary band to me.

👎
I hate to say it, but I have to agree. It’s pretty depressing—they were one of my all-time favorite bands, too.

Megan Stewart77 said:I’ve been thinking about this, and even if they decided to find a new singer, I don't know who could actually fill those shoes. Maybe no one could. 😢

I just realized I've been listening to them since they first started, for the entire 17 years they've been around. Honestly, for me, that's a real tragedy.

Final Mascarade is one of my favorites. I know, kind of a weird choice, I guess. But when you’re actually at the concert and they start playing, every single song feels so powerful that they all become your favorite in that moment. It was honestly such an incredible feeling, and I’m just glad I got to experience it..

Yeah, I've been listening to them since they practically started. They're one of those rare bands that's stayed together the whole time, which is just a damn shame, I guess.

I'm glad you at least made it to a concert while he was still around. I guess you just never really know where life is going to take people.

Did you guys get a chance to read that letter the band members wrote to Chester?😢😢

Rachel Davis said:Did you guys actually read that letter the band wrote to Chester?😢 😢

Yeah, we did. It’s honestly heartbreaking... pretty heavy stuff.

It’s just beautiful 😢 I think my favorite part was the middle section—the way they described how infectious his laughter and optimism were, and how he basically lit up every room he walked into 😢 Honestly, that bit about fighting his demons while keeping such a genuine heart? That one really hit me hard 😢

Rachel Davis said:It’s beautiful 😢 My favorite part was the middle section, describing how infectious his laughter and optimism were, and how he just lit up every room he walked into 😢 That bit about the demons and his genuine heart... that really hit me hard 😢

I think they nailed it—his struggles are exactly what produced such incredible music ❤❤ And made him such an amazing human being. It breaks my heart that he couldn't fully escape the depression 😢 I've been reading lately that he was even planning to end things back in 2014. It's just devastating that it actually happened now

I still can't quite wrap my head around the fact that this actually happened. I’ve been in a bit of a shock for days now. Honestly, Linkin Park was the one thing that really pulled me through during those years when I felt totally alone, completely lost, or like there just wasn't any way out. Their music always seemed to be there for me. Losing Chester feels like losing someone I've known for a lifetime, and I just feel like things will never be the same again. Music is really the only thing I can always lean on; it’s like it "gets" me, no matter what. On the other hand, I guess it's somewhat comforting to see how many people their music helped—some people even say it literally saved their lives when they were at their absolute lowest. I just hope he's in a better place now and isn't hurting anymore. I don't really know what else to say. I think I've cried more in the last few days than I have in the last ten years combined...

My old high school English teacher used to say that you can't have a truly great musician without some massive personal tragedy behind them. 😢 And man, he really did go through it—that’s actually one of the reasons I look up to him so much. He’s my hero because, despite everything life threw at him, he managed to build this incredible career while remaining such a kind, positive person with so much energy to give.
I honestly feel terrible that people didn't see the sheer amount of pain he was masking after Chris took his own life; it’s obvious he needed help, but you can't really point a finger at anyone—there’s just no single person to blame. That’s why this whole thing hit us all like a ton of bricks. 😢 For him, 2015 was an absolute nightmare—he was diagnosed with clinical depression and was open about it, which takes a hell of a lot of courage. The other fans said it perfectly: "you wore your heart on a sleeve" ♡ I’m slowly starting to process the shock, and talking to other fans helps a lot—it reminds me how many millions of people he actually touched with his music.

I honestly can't even wrap my head around how crushing depression actually is. I’m sure the people closest to him were doing everything they could to help—he had his family and an incredible band behind him. But it feels like the way he went... like it wasn't even something he planned, just a moment where the weight of it all finally became too much. It’s such a massive tragedy because he truly had so much more to give to the music and to his fans.
I’m still having trouble sleeping; the whole thing just hit me so hard. I think only fellow fans really get it. To everyone else, it probably looks ridiculous that we’re grieving some singer, but they don't understand. It’s actually beautiful to see how many fans there are and how much support the band is getting right now.

northernorca5 said:I still can't wrap my head around this happening. I've been in total shock for days. Linkin Park was the one thing that actually helped me through the years when I felt lonely, lost, or like there was "no way out"... their music always pulled me through. Losing Chester Bennington feels like losing someone I've known for a lifetime, and nothing is ever going to feel the same again. Music is the only thing I can always lean on—it’s what "always understands" me and gets me through. On the bright side, it's amazing to see how many people their music reached, even saving lives when things felt hopeless... I just hope he's in a better place now, free from all the pain. I don't even know what else to say. I've cried more in these last few days than I have in the last ten years...

Hang in there. Life is about so much more than just one band. There are plenty of small joys out there—just try to find them and dig deep to keep moving forward. We owe it to Chester Bennington and the rest of the guys to keep loving their music and to keep living our lives. That's definitely what he would have wanted.

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Megan Stewart77 said:I honestly can't even wrap my head around how crushing depression actually is—it's such a brutal illness. I'm sure the people in his life were doing everything they could to help him, especially since he had his family and such an incredible band behind him. But it feels like the way he passed... like it wasn't some long-planned thing, but just a moment where the depression finally became too much to carry. It’s such a massive tragedy because he truly had so much left to give—to the music and to all of us fans.
I'm still having a hard time sleeping, if I'm being honest; it hit me harder than I expected. I feel like maybe only other fans really get it—everyone else just thinks it's ridiculous that we're grieving some singer from halfway across the country. It’s actually pretty moving to see how many fans there are and how much support everyone is showing the band.

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I broke down when it finally hit me how heavy depression is, and that he had been struggling with it forever, with only those brief flashes of happiness. 😢 He gave us so much, and I think it's going to be incredibly hard to listen to the lyrics now without feeling that weight. Everything feels different—now it feels like every song on the radio is singing about this. 😢
I don't think he planned this months in advance; with suicide, they say it's often just one overwhelming moment that breaks you.
No one understands me either—to them, he was just some celebrity, and they just tell me, "Oh, relax, you'll get over it soon."

Megan Stewart77 said:Hang in there. Life is about way more than just one band. There are plenty of little things to enjoy, so try to find the strength to keep moving forward. I think we owe it to Chester Bennington and the rest of Linkin Park to keep loving their music while still living our own lives. That's probably what he would have wanted, anyway.

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Thanks. I wish you nothing but the best, too. Just hang in there however you can.😢

RIP 🙂 😢

Kenneth Clark18 said:Yeah, honestly, I've been listening to them since they basically started. They're one of those rare bands that stayed together the whole time, which is such a shame.

Glad you at least caught a show while he was still around. Man, you never know where life is gonna take people.

I probably listened to their first album like a hundred times.
Meteor was killer too. I didn't really follow them much after that, but yeah, they were a huge deal back when I was in high school.

I also posted this in the other thread - RIP 😢

Chester Bennington definitely had that spark. Back when I was going through a messy breakup and obsessively blasting Shadow of the Day, Numb, and In the End... I immediately started Googling him because there was just something about him that felt real. He seemed like such a genuine guy.

I really wanted to catch them in concert back then, but my friend totally blew me off. She told our buddy that they were just too "hit or miss" with the rapping and all the screaming, so whatever. It sucks because I never got to see them live with Chester Bennington, and now that window is closed for good. 😢

Like everyone else lately, I’m on a total Linkin Park marathon, and honestly, I can't stop playing What I've Done.

I’m doing a marathon myself these days; finally got around to listening to a recording from a concert I attended.
I've been trying to remember exactly how I first got hooked on them, but honestly, it's a blur. It was ages ago...

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I honestly can't bring myself to listen to anything except Meteora right now—it's pretty much the only era of their sound that feels manageable. The whole album feels like it’s channeling Chester Bennington's pain. Songs like Numb feel like a final goodbye, and then you have Shadow of the Day, which feels like something we fans would want to say to him. And TTT? I can only imagine how his wife felt watching him struggle through everything two years ago. I’ve tried branching out to their other stuff, but I just can't do it—it’s all too intense, there's just too much of Chester Bennington's raw energy in there. As for their live shows... don't even get me started. I tried watching one and just completely broke down; it’s just too much to handle. I really hope we get some kind of closure soon, because this whole situation isn't exactly healthy.

Is anyone interested in heading to Washington, D.C. for a memorial in Chester Bennington's honor? They've been holding these gatherings in a bunch of different cities, and honestly, it’d be a real shame if we didn't host one here in D.C. too. I've already set up a Facebook group—if you're down, just shoot me a PM here on the forum.

Richard Wilson4 said:I probably listened to the first album about a hundred times.
Meteora was great too, though I didn't really follow them much later on. Still, they were a huge deal back when I was in high school.

I also posted this in the other thread—RIP 😢

Yeah, same here. It was such a unique era, especially just thinking back to those music videos for In the End, Numb, Faint, and the Inside. Personally, my absolute favorite is Breaking the Habit... Their visuals were incredible, seriously.

Man, you just have to move on. What can you do?