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On Monday morning, Linkin Park released an emotional letter about the death of singer Chester Bennington. Bennington died on Thursday at age 41; the coroner confirmed it was death by suicide on Friday. Linkin Park subsequently canceled their upcoming tour, which featured two dates with Blink-182.
In the letter, which the band posted to Facebook, the remaining bandmates expressed their grief at Bennington's passing and their gratitude to have lived alongside him. As they continued, "[w]e’re trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal. After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place."
Bennington struggled with addiction and was sexually abused in his youth, which he previously discussed with the L.A. Times. He explained how, "I think people don't get told enough that they have the power to make themselves feel better. So if you can do that as much as possible. ... I think that's a positive thing, and I think we do that with our music." This openness seeped into his music with Linkin Park—something his bandmates described in their letter, writing "[y]ou fearlessly put [your demons] on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us to be more human. You had the biggest heart, and managed to wear it on your sleeve."
Here's the full letter:
The band also took the opportunity to make a suicide prevention website in Bennington's honor.
