Biography

With inimitable vocals that swept across the spectrum of pain, Chester Bennington became the voice of a generation as the lead singer of the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning hybrid rock group, Linkin Park. Conveying hurt with his vulnerable singing voice and rage with his guttural howl, Bennington was key to the band's sound, which made them a fixture at the top of the charts throughout the 2000s and 2010s, from 2000's diamond-selling debut Hybrid Theory to their sixth chart-topping effort, 2017's One More Light. In addition to his work with Linkin Park, Bennington was also the vocalist for '90s post-grunge outfit Grey Daze, his late-'00s side project Dead by Sunrise, and, briefly, one of his biggest musical influences, Stone Temple Pilots. On July 20, 2017, mere months after the release of One More Light, Bennington was found dead in his California home, leaving behind a rich musical legacy and legions of fans across the globe. Born on March 20, 1976, in Phoenix, Arizona, Bennington had a difficult childhood, bullied at school for his lanky frame and appearance. He later revealed that he was also a survivor of sexual abuse. After his parents divorced at age 11, he turned to drugs to deal with his pain. Outside of substance abuse, Bennington also sought solace in poetry, art, and music, inspired mostly by Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots. Despite his hardships, Bennington never forgot his childhood dream of becoming a rock star and, in 1993, he joined local band Grey Daze as the lead singer. The group built a sizable following around the Phoenix area, but Bennington ultimately grew unhappy, and in the late '90s decided to leave over creative differences. He moved to Los Angeles to audition for a band then known as Xero. After he was hired, they changed their name to Linkin Park. Despite multiple label rejections, the genre-pushing crew gaining a notable local fan base and eventually signed to Warner Bros. In 2000, they released their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which went on to become one of the biggest selling albums of all time. The band's visceral mix of rock, rap, and electronic resulted in a slew of hit singles like "In The End," "Numb," and "What I've Done," turning Linkin Park into one of the most popular mainstream rock groups in the early part of new millennium. Likewise, Bennington's often tortured vocals became one of the most distinctive in the rock scene. Six of the band's studio albums hit number one, and each of the first six earned at least platinum status. Outside of Linkin Park, Bennington kept busy with other endeavors. In 2005, he co-founded the band Dead by Sunrise with producers Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck of Orgy. Originally slated for a 2006 release, his Linkin Park commitments pushed the release of the album, Out of Ashes, back to 2009. Upon issue, the album debuted in the Billboard Top 30, bolstered by singles "Crawl Back In" and "Fire." Four years later, after the departure of singer Scott Weiland, Bennington earned a spot as vocalist of one of his biggest inspirations, Stone Temple Pilots. Though he only managed one release with the group -- 2013's EP High Rise -- it was a fulfillment of a lifelong dream. After leaving STP, he returned his focus to Linkin Park for their sixth LP, The Hunting Party. Two months after the release of Linkin Park's seventh studio album, 2017's One More Light, Bennington was found dead at his home in Southern California; he was 41 years old. A planned tour in support of One More Light was cancelled and a tribute concert was held that October. Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington was the band's first performance following his death and they were joined by friends from blink-182, System of a Down, Yellowcard, and many other bands. Three years later, Bennington's first band, Grey Daze, reunited to re-record a compilation using his original vocal tracks. With the help of musicians from Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Bush, P.O.D., and Dead by Sunrise, a polished collection of previously released tracks were contemporized for the posthumous Amends. Upon release, the album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 75. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi