Chester Bennington Musician, vocalist of the band "Linkin Park". Date of Birth: 20.03.1976 Country: USA

1. Biography of Chester Bennington
2. Early Life and Struggles
3. Musical Career
4. Other Projects and Personal Life

Biography of Chester Bennington

Chester Charles Bennington was born on March 20, 1976, in Phoenix, Arizona. He was the vocalist and musician of the rock band 'Linkin Park'. Bennington's piercing and emotional vocals were perhaps the biggest asset of the band. He went from being an "absolute chronic alcoholic" to someone whose "influence is felt in the rock, metal, and rap worlds, and beyond".

Early Life and Struggles

Bennington's mother was a nurse, and his father was a police detective investigating cases of child sexual abuse. He developed an interest in music at an early age, citing Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots as his early inspirations. He dreamed of being a part of the latter, which he eventually achieved.

His parents divorced when he was eleven, and custody was granted to his father. After the divorce, Bennington started using marijuana, alcohol, opium, cocaine, methamphetamine, and LSD. Despite his troubled past, he managed to overcome his addiction and became the father of six children.

Musical Career

Before pursuing a professional music career, Bennington worked at Burger King. He faced severe bullying during his school years, which led to emotional and mental distress. To cope with the pain, he started writing poetry, songs, and painting.

He began his singing career in the band Sean Dowdell and His Friends? and later formed the post-grunge band Grey Daze. However, finding a new band proved to be challenging. Jeff Blue, who was working with the label 'Zomba Music', offered him an audition in Los Angeles with the future members of Linkin Park. Bennington quit his job and moved with his family to California, where he was accepted into the band.

Linkin Park achieved great success, releasing seven studio albums that sold over 80 million copies worldwide. Bennington primarily served as the lead vocalist in the band, sharing the role at times with Mike Shinoda.

Other Projects and Personal Life

Apart from Linkin Park, Bennington co-founded the band Dead by Sunrise with Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck, releasing their debut album 'Out of Ashes' in 2009. In 2013, he joined Stone Temple Pilots as their lead vocalist after the departure of Scott Weiland.

Bennington had two marriages and six children. His first wife was Samantha Marie Olit, with whom he had a son. They divorced in 2005, and he later married Talinda Ann Bentley, a former Playboy model, with whom he had three children.

On July 20, 2017, Bennington tragically took his own life by hanging. His death coincided with the birthday of his close friend, musician Chris Cornell, who had also died by suicide two months earlier. Linkin Park members expressed their grief and remembered Bennington as someone who bravely exposed his demons and made the band more human.

Despite canceling their North American tour, Linkin Park stated that their love for creating and performing music remains, and they will continue their journey in the future, acknowledging the impact Bennington had on their lives.