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Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington passed earlier today, reportedly committing suicide.
Related: Chester Bennington Dead, Linkin Park Singer Commits Suicide By Hanging
Radio.com sat down with Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson from Linkin Park earlier this year at CBS Radio’s SPF Concert in Las Vegas. The event occurred just days after the passing of Chris Cornell, also by suicide.
The pair reflected on Cornell’s passing and how deeply it had affected Bennington. They also discussed how their new album addressed loss, the profound impact it has, and the value of community during difficult times.
“We were booked to play the show so that we could promote our new single ‘Heavy’ and then we heard the news about Chris Cornell and had had a little pow-wow in the dressing room before we went on and we said, ya know, the things that good for the band to do is play ‘Heavy,’ but the right thing to do is play ‘One More Light’ because it’s about the loss of a friend,’ said Shinoda. “It’s one of the most important songs on the record, and it may never be a single, but it’s just an important song and it’s the right song to play so that’s what we ended up doing.”
“When we were doing a sound check Chester couldn’t even make it through the song, he was getting halfway through and getting choked up. And even when we did play the whole song, and it was live on TV, or taped for film for TV, he kind of just stopped like towards the end like he missed the last couple lines, just couldn’t finish the song,” he continued.
“Fans were crying in the audience, and I think it was cathartic, I think it was good,” he concluded. “The message of the song is when you are dealing with something so deep as losing a friend, or in this case somebody you just admire, somebody you look up to when we’re talking about some of these fans in the audience… one of the things I think you can do is reach out to people and offer them community, let them know we’re a family, we’re community, we care about each other. Whether a friend who lost somebody, a family member or whatever, to reach out and let them know even that you’re thinking about them, sometimes that’s enough.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
