Following the absolutely devastating news regarding Chester Bennington's passing on the 20th of July, the band posted this heartfelt message on their website and Facebook account today: We will keep you posted should any other statement come from the band in the coming days. We miss you, Chester. Hard to believe you're gone.
This statement was beautifully written. It also makes me feel at ease knowing that what has transpired hasn't extinguished the bands willingness to keep making music in one form or another. Much love to everyone around.
No. Linkin Park will always be Linkin Park and will always be together. What that means in terms of making music and performing remains to be seen but the band will never break up. This is all so sad and surreal. Not really found the words to express how I feel yet but this was a beautiful message.
I simply cannot imagine how upside down and fallen apart their world is right now. Talinda, the children, the whole family and the boys. I just can't ask them for anything more. The time they took to get some words out both for him and us tells you about the huge pain they are in at the moment. What else is left for us but to keep our chins up, walk together and try to heal as we slowly accept we won't get our dear Chester back. We'll gather the strength to say goodbye to him, when it's due time. But for now our mutual support, and continuous messages of love, unity, resilence, and fond remembrance shall be the gestures that will keep our hearts in motion. Personally, I can't wait for the day where I can listen to Linkin Park again, with a smile on my face. Though more than once their music made me teary-eyed even while Chester was alive, it was an expression of empathy and a deep connection with his words and passion. That will always remain. I miss you. I'll never forget you.
This ripped me up all over again. It still doesn't seem real. But this was beautiful. It perfectly describes everything he was and everything his memory will continue to be.
Chester was a man with lots of plans for the future, with the band, with his family, with his particular projects... That's what makes it harder to accept and understand. I just can imagine what the guys from the band are going through. Even though we knew Chaz had problems, it just didn't seem like a moment that this could possibly happen. The TTM video release, the photoshoot that day, the US Tour ahead, Grey Daze reunion... So many things left open, unfinished. I'm sure if Chester had a chance to start again, he would regret what he did and be sorry. But there's no blame to judge here, at all. He did what he did in a moment he felt like it, vulnerable, alone, hopeless. This must be hard for Talinda, since she left him come back alone to L.A. and spend the night by himself. That opened so much space and silence for the depression to overcome. I love you, man. I have no shame of crying for you, it's a true hole in my soul. We're really missing you in this world. Everything feels emptier. I hope all the world remembers you as the amazing person you were, and forgive you for this last bad decision that any human being could have done the same.
This is the most beautiful and the saddest message they could've written for Chester, my heart is crying but warm and full at the same time because of this gesture, this letter of love. We will certainly never forget you, Chester, and we will cherish the memory I'm so so sorry nobody could have helped you
If anything, this shows that they still want to make music somehow in Chester's honor. What forms that will take is anyone's guess, but that was such an incredible tribute they wrote.
What a powerful letter to Chester and the fans. I can't imagine the grief they must be going through.. I am suprised that this doesn't seem like an finite closing of LP as a band. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but it seems like they want to honor his name by continuing doing what they love. What that means is still unknown but the fact that the door seems even slighly open is a positive thing.
He let the demons of his past, the pain of losing a friend in the present, and the use of alcohol to create the perfect storm on July 20. It was a mistake, a grave mistake. I don't think Chester intended to follow through with suicide, I think he lost the ability to think over what he was doing. I do think that someone close to him should of read more of the signs than his fans were able to read. At the very least, someone should have known not to leave him alone on July 20.
It's easy to say that now, to be the judge and I also wonder what if but there's no point. He found himself to be in a dark place and decided to end it. His family and the other members must be feeling a lot of gulit and also wonder what if but now is not the time. It will take them a lot of courage and time, if ever, to be at ease and accept what happened.
I can't even begin to understand how hard it must have been for them to release this statement. It's just one of those small steps that makes it all the more real for them and us.
It's easier to be in denial and this is a small step to acknowledge what happened and I can imagine them crying while writing it as it was flr us reading it I especially like the middle part, how they described Chester's energetic personality, he really brought light to the room
My eyes welled up as I read this.. with my daughter begging me not to cry as it would start her off again.. she cried for hours when the news broke.. I was at work getting frantic calls that I had to ignore.. until fear over came me and I called her bk... but still there was nothing I could do to comfort her... I am personally still in shock... but watching interviews of Chester describing how his depression effects him, I can relate as I have suffered severe recurring bout depression.. & have in my past 2 overdose attempts.. when you are at that actual point you truly honestly believe everything and everyone would be better without you & that at least the personal pain will end... it's a belief in that 1 short moment... and it only takes that 1 moment. The battle to stay strong is extremely exhausting ... Chester seems to have fought so many of them battles.. The open letter is written as wonderfully as their songs... and just proves how fan friendly they are to mention us fans within their words.. it's so easy when grieving to forget all those outside the close circle that also feel the loss... I've discussed this with my father after my mother passed away the different degrees of grieve.. I feel I'm rambling.. best sign off.. Xx
Same here, I'm lost.. as a die hard fan of the guys since I was an early teen it was always my dream to see them live and meet them at least once and this year was my first year joining the LPU and I got my first tattoo in march as dedication to the band as a whole, so when I found out he passed it crushed me, I was hoping one day my dream would come true and not only were the band my inspiration musically but through their music it helped me push myself even harder on a daily basis being as I was born with cerebral palsy and use a walker for assistance but still then I do face some struggles on a daily basis but I push myself to keep going forward. I'll dearly miss Chester with each passing day but I'm thankful to the whole band for their positive message that I have used as motivation for so many years now. #LPSoldier4Life #RIPChester
It's easy to question when you're looking down the mountain, but the path up it is hard to see.... most people with depression wear a veil of protection and happiness. Think about how jubilant and charismatic Chester always appeared to be. Sometimes the happiest ones are hurting the most. It does no good to question what could've been done differently because nothing can be. I just hope the whole Linkin Park family can get through this. When a piece of you is removed, you'll never be the same.... Also I hope this is a lesson to all to never assume people are okay. When you get the opportunity try and always spread love and positivity because you never know how someone is really feeling.