Chester Bennington

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Chester Bennington
Bennington in 2014
Born
Chester Charles Bennington

(1976-03-20)March 20, 1976
DiedJuly 20, 2017(2017-07-20) (aged 41)
Cause of death suicide by hanging
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
  • actor
Years active1992–2017
Spouse(s)
Samantha Olit
(m. 1996; div. 2005)

Talinda Bentley (m. 2006)
Children6
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Signature

Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017)[1] was an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper and actor. He was the lead singer for Linkin Park.

Biography[change | change source]

Early years[change | change source]

Bennington was born in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. He was interested in music since he was young and he liked mostly Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots. His parents separated in the late 1980s, and was raised by his father. Later he had problems with drugs.

Professional music career[change | change source]

At the beginning he was a vocalist in a grunge band called Grey Daze. He left Grey Daze in 1998. After that, the vice president of A&R at Zomba Music in Los Angeles, offered Bennington an audition with Linkin Park. Bennington went to California and joined the band. Their name was “Hybrid Theory” back then. The other vocalist was Mike Shinoda. After some rejections, Jeff Blue operated to help the band sign with Warner Bros. Records.

In spite of the success in the early 2000s, Bennington has had personal problems outside of the public interest.

Personal life[change | change source]

Bennington had a son in 1996 by Elka Brand and in 2006 adopted her other son who was born in 1997. In 1996 Bennington married Samantha Marie Olit. Their child was born in 2002. The couple divorced in 2005. In 2006, Bennington married Talinda Bentley, a former Playboy model. He had three children with Bentley, a son born in 2006, and twin daughters born in 2011.

Death[change | change source]

Bennington died by suicide by hanging himself on July 20, 2017 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California at the age of 41, the day on what would have been his close friend, Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday who also died by suicide a few months earlier.[2][3][4][5]

Discography[change | change source]

With Grey Daze[change | change source]

Year Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS AUT GER SWI UK UK
Rock
US
Wake Me
  • Released: 1994
  • Formats: CD
...No Sun Today
  • Released: May 23, 1997
  • Formats: CD
Amends
  • Released: June 26, 2020
  • Formats: CD, LP, download
30 29 9 17 62 1 75
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles[change | change source]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US Main.
[6]
US
Rock

[7]
US
Rock
Air.

[8]
"What's In the Eye?" 2020 Amends
"Sickness" 2 35 11
"Sometimes"
"Soul Song" 40
"B12" 29

Music videos[change | change source]

  • "What's In the Eye" (2020)
  • "Sickness" (2020)
  • "Soul Song" (2020)
  • "B12" (2020)
  • "In Time" (2020)
  • "Shouting Out" (2020)

With Linkin Park[change | change source]

With Dead by Sunrise[change | change source]

With Stone Temple Pilots[change | change source]

Album contributions and singles[change | change source]

Year Artist Song Release
2001 DJ Lethal "Cry To Yourself" (also known as "State of the Art") N/A - originally intended for DJ Lethal's unreleased album "State of the Art"
2002 Stone Temple Pilots "Wonderful (Live)" The Family Values 2001 Tour
2002 Chester Bennington "System" Queen of the Damned soundtrack
Cyclefly "Karma Killer" Crave
2004 Handsome Boy Modeling School featuring DJ Q-bert, Grand Wizard Theodore, Jazzy Jay, Lord Finesse, Mike Shinoda, Rahzel & Chester Bennington / Tim Meadows "Rock N' Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) (Part 2) / Knockers" White People
2005 Z-Trip "Walking Dead" Shifting Gears
Mötley Crüe "Home Sweet Home" (remake) Non-album charity single
2006 Chester Bennington "Morning After (Julien-K Remix)" Underworld: Evolution (soundtrack)
Mindless Self Indulgence "What Do They Know? (Mindless Self Indulgence Vs. Julien-K & Chester Bennington Remix)" Another Mindless Rip Off
2007 Young Buck "Slow Ya Roll" Buck the World
2008/2010 Chris Cornell "Hunger Strike (Live at Projekt Revolution 2008)" Songs from the Underground

A Decade Underground

2010 Santana featuring Chester Bennington & Ray Manzarek "Riders on the Storm" (The Doors cover) Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time
2019 Mark Morton featuring Chester Bennington "Cross Off" Anesthetic[9][10]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Chester Bennington dead: Linkin Park singer 'dies aged 41'". Independent. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. Grow, Cory. "Chester Bennington, Linkin Park Singer, Dead at 41". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  3. "Linkin Park's Chester Bennington dies". BBC News. 2017-07-20. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
  4. "Linkin Park's Chester Bennington Committed Suicide: Report". Billboard. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  5. "Why mental health advocates use the words 'died by suicide'". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  6. "Mainstream Rock Charts: Week of May 23, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  7. "Hot Rock Songs Chart: Week of May 23, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  8. "Rock Airplay: Week of May 30, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  9. Kaufman, Spencer. "Lamb of God's Mark Morton to release album featuring Chester Bennington, Randy Blythe, Myles Kennedy, and more". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
  10. brownypaul (2018-12-18). "Lamb of God's Mark Morton announces solo collaborative album 'Anesthetic' featuring a STACK OF GUESTS!!!". Wall Of Sound. Retrieved 2019-01-08.

Other websites[change | change source]