Musicians React to Linkin Park Singer Chester Bennington's Suicide

On Thursday, news broke that Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington died by suicide. Linkin Park’s music, and Bennington’s raw and real lyrics, were important to so many fans — but also to so many musicians. Some have taken to social media to express their grief, and offer condolences to his friends and family.

Oh dear God. Massive R.I.P to Chester Bennington of @linkinpark this BREAKS OUR HEART. Suicide is the devil on earth walking amongst us ????

— OneRepublic (@OneRepublic) July 20, 2017

no words. so heartbroken. RIP Chester Bennington.

— Imagine Dragons (@Imaginedragons) July 20, 2017

 

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???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Literally the most impressive talent I’ve ever seen live! Vocal beast! #RIPChester #LinkinPark

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Jul 20, 2017 at 11:37am PDT

RIP Chester. Tragic ending. Condolences his family and friends and Linkin Park ????????

— Chance The Rapper Album in July (@chancetherapper) July 20, 2017

Linkin Park was one of the FIRST rock bands I ever got into as a kid. Not many artists Id shed tears for but I have for Chester Bennington ????

— J Ξ N N Ξ L ↞ (@JennelGarcia) July 20, 2017

This is heartbreaking. RIP Chester. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends. https://t.co/z4R5gdFt8D

— Nick Jonas (@nickjonas) July 20, 2017

R.I.P Chester Bennington
A devastating loss. My thoughts are with his family & friends today… https://t.co/5pVVVbxX73

— Ryan Adams (@TheRyanAdams) July 20, 2017

I am in tears.Chester just told me how happy he was…..He was such a sweet and talented man……Ifeel so sad for his family,band mates and fans

— xxıS ıʞʞıN (@NikkiSixx) July 20, 2017

Bennington was open about his struggles with addiction and suicidal ideation. In reaction to his death, a few musicians had messages for people who also might be experiencing suicidal thoughts, or struggling with their mental health.

beyond tragic about Chester Bennington. Life is such a delicate thing, Take care of yourselves. RIP

— JamesVincentMcMorrow (@jamesvmcmorrow) July 20, 2017

mental health is everything.
it’s ok you don’t know how to get through things, just keep going.
so sad about chester and his family.
????

— christina perri (@christinaperri) July 20, 2017

Paramore’s Hayley Williams, who has been open about experiencing depression, tweeted about an artist’s often challenging role to bring light into a world full of so much darkness.

artists are ppl compelled to bring beauty into a world that can be so dark. makes sense then that artists are always conscious of darkness..

— hayley from Paramore (@yelyahwilliams) July 20, 2017

… & maybe at times made more vulnerable by it? i don’t know. life can be relentless. heart hurts for Chester’s family/band/friends/fans.

— hayley from Paramore (@yelyahwilliams) July 20, 2017

It’s also important to remember that middle aged men have the highest risk of suicide, compared to any other demographic. Bennington died at age 41. Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden, died by suicide just two months ago at the age of 52.

When musicians write songs that resonate with us so deeply, cutting to our core in dark moments when we need them the most, it can be easy to forgot they too carry this darkness. After Cornell’s death, Mighty contributor Darshita Jain wrote a piece addressing this. She said:

Chris’ songs talk about death repeatedly. Cries about self-expression, self-worth, grief and the deep dark pit he lived in, repeatedly. And I never paid attention to the fact that they came from him, his suffering, and instead used them to resonate with my own.

Maybe we should stop using art to say “me too” and listen, really pay attention, to what the words mean, see what the artist is really telling. Not miss the signs, not only use the signs.