#MakeChesterProud | Stories

Chester and Linkin Park have always helped when I’ve been through sad moments in my life. With their music they made it easier for me and I have survived. I never get tired of their music and will always listen to them. Thank you Chester!

I was so depressed in my life. I was bullied everywhere I went, and I was so down. Then my cousin told me to listen to songs. I listened to one and that impacted me very much and helped me overcome my depression.

Chester gave me music back in my heart when I lost all hope and he inspired me to be a great writer. Without him, my heart would still be darkened by life. He became my angel and showed me the light. Every poem and all the lyrics I write, I know it’s from him giving me inner strength forever. He lives in my heart and soul.

Chester has helped me overcome my many demons that I’m still fighting twenty years later. With his voice, lyrics and screams, he always helped me through my toughest days. There would be days I would lock myself in my room and not come out and other days I could see the blue in the skies. Without his voice to guide me, today is even harder because I have no words that can help me overcome the demons. As for the old lyrics, they do help and destroy the evil within me… Without Chester, my world would have been a lot darker and scarier. Thank you for helping me, I miss you every day

Chester, what can I say? My best friend from my childhood got me into your music. Everything changed. The words you wrote connected with me, they showed me that I wasn’t alone. You and the guys were my life ever since I was fifteen, I think. I was only around for three new albums, but I would still defend each one. Each song has a different meaning, a different story. When we saw you at Download Festival in 2014, it was unreal. Then in Manchester later that same year, it was even better. We almost got to hug you and me and my friend cried all the way back to the hotel singing, laughing and everything else. What an amazing experience it was. All I can do is thank you for that. Rest in peace, Chezzy Chez. We love you.

I first heard Linkin Park when I was twenty-five in 2001. I was a fan immediately. Being Gen X, grunge was dead and post grunge was disappointing. This was new and fascinating. As the years went on, it became more than just music. Here are a group of guys my age singing and rapping about what could have been thoughts from my own mind. Then I start to hear Chester speak about his demons in interviews. About the thoughts and actions that troubled him. But he also spoke of love, compassion and helping others. It was more than music. It is a movement to spread love, compassion and to pick others up when they fall. When he passed, I felt as though a personal friend or loved one had passed. Knowing that I too felt the very things he spoke of, the thing that had taken him away from us, I set out on a mission to get help for myself. I would fight this illness. I wouldn’t let it take me from my family. Chester Bennington saved my life. If this illness we both shared could take him, a person that the world needed, then it would most definitely take me, a person I considered a waste of oxygen. Because of Chester, I have an unwavering desire to be a better person and am determined to make Chester proud.

My mom left when I was two and I didn’t have the easiest of lives. Growing up unsure of my identity, dealing with bullying and undiagnosed mental health issues, I didn’t know someone could come along and scream everything I felt. His name was Chester Bennington. Numb was always my song to my mom after reuniting with her because I wasn’t what she wanted me to be. Chester has been a part of my life since I was ten years old struggling with myself, helping me evolve into who I am today. Since his passing, I became kinder, helping people more, trying to love each moment as if it’s my last. Even though he has gone, I find the only thing to calm me down when my anxiety is bad or that demon shows its ugly head is to play him screaming. He’s still saving my life even today and I will try to live my life as best as I can in his name.

I grew up without my father in my life, I was raised by my mother, aunt and grandmother since I can remember. I didn’t have any kind of positive influential male figure growing up, I was different from the other people I had grown up with. I was an only child; no brothers or sisters related by blood. When I was a teenager, I was still finding myself and discovering who I was. There came a time where in freshman year of high school, I noticed I was leaning more towards the rock scene. When I heard Chester’s voice on the song Numb, it immediately connected with me on an emotional, spiritual and personal level. After years of listening to his raw passionate singing, he began to feel like my long-lost brother, something I’d never felt before. The feeling was so visceral that Linkin Park felt like home, where I was welcomed for being different. My life would be described not only as the band name Linkin Park, but the entire journey of it, like a family of different people from different walks of life. Through his voice and raw passion, he taught me how to become a loving and caring individual, even through messed up days or darkest moments. It taught me that with every obstacle, there is an end, that being authentic and genuine connects you with people that make you realize how unique you can be.

His voice brought joy to my life. Whether in a concert pit, on the radio or simply thinking of his voice, he continues to bring me joy. I miss him every day.

Chester and Linkin Park’s music has always been a massive part of my life, especially after my mum passed away when I was eleven. I’m now twenty-two and the music still helps me through and inspires me to chase my dream. In September, I start university to continue chasing my dream of being a paramedic. Linkin Park have kept me going in both good and bad times. Chester’s voice is one of the few artists who can give me goosebumps, his sense of humour was fantastic, too. Thanks to Chester and the whole of Linkin Park, I have made friends for life and I’m so grateful.

I met Chester five years ago this November and it was the most beautiful moment of my life. I cried, and he held me and told me he believed in me and that he knew I was going to be okay. I’ll never forget it for as long as I live and I strive to make him proud every day, even if that’s just by living to see another day. Chester means everything to me. He was and still is my hero, the fact that he’s not physically here anymore means nothing to me because he will always be in my heart and watching over me. Every good, momentous thing that’s happened to me has involved him or Linkin Park in one way or another, so I will always be grateful to him and the band. Chester is my rock. I miss him more than anything, but knowing I’m making him proud every day I get out of bed is what keeps me going

At every juncture of my life, I've found myself alone. It's not that I didn't have anyone physically around me, I had someone or other, but none would just give me that silent support I always craved. I started listening to LP in eighth grade and I remember the first song I ever heard was Crawling and since then Chester has been that silent pillar behind me. Motivating me to go on and has given me hope again and again. I can't even begin to explain what he means to me. He's like that friend I never met, that elder brother I never had. For a loner like me, he's a reason to go on! I love him and I just hope that somehow, I'm making him proud. If you can hear me now Chezzy, I wanna say thank you for being there and thank you for helping me find myself. A part of my heart will always be yours. I love you.

Chester inspire me to write poetry of things I go through and started collecting fallen Stars meteor and tecktite for the tecktite is the tears of a fallen star and the meteor is the blood of the lost fallen Angel brother of ours that recycled back to heaven and falls as a meteor back to earth to reincarnate to a new story that has no end with the virtue's of love, peace, truth and unity.

I was never one that liked "screaming rock", but Chester has always been different. I went through a rough time when I lost my mom. Depression made me hit rock bottom. I tried to end it all... Chester and his music brought me out of it. His songs and voice touch my soul like nothing else can. His death hit me hard and I still have bad days but now I put my earphones, close my eyes and listen to his voice. I go on because I want to make Chester proud. I love him, always will and I'm so thankful for his voice and his music that allows me to go on.

It impacted me since at the beginning of 2017, I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me many times, I felt like killing myself. The way he was and his songs have always been there. Now LP songs are my biggest addiction, can't live without hearing them. Thank you, Chester, for your scream and beautiful lyrics. When I feel like crying, I scream listening to your songs. I miss you, see you real soon ❤

When I was 18, I was afraid because my parents didn’t believe in me. I also had depression and they didn’t believe me, they thought I just needed attention ...then I listened to a fragment of a show where Chester was saying to never give up! He was the only one that believed in me. I finished University and even got a great job! I never gave up on my depression because Chester would always made me feel better with his voice.

My name is Jose Ignacio “Nacho” Reyes. I was born on July 2nd, 1988 and grew up in California my whole life I was always considered an outcast. When I was in grade school, I’d be picked on and being told that I would never be worth anything in life; I’d be picked on so much that I was a target to throw my name for me to go to the principal’s office for anything and everything under the sun. My own biological mother would hit me with anything she could get her hands on, she went as far as banging my head across a ceramic tub which left me bleeding from my head and nose. My mother and father got divorced when I was nine years old, my mother wanted nothing to do with her children. She has always been a jealous woman thinking my dad cheated on her with any and every woman he met, she even broke TVs due to thinking that he was cheating on her with Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White and Mexican Singer Celia Cruz. When my father got divorced, my brother, my sister and I went to live with him in El Monte, CA with our grandmother. Still, through grade school, I was bullied and considered a big target. When I was in junior high is when Linkin Park came out with their first album Hybrid Theory and I started connecting my feelings and how I felt with my life. Before this album, I had thoughts of suicide but never acted upon it because I always felt what would God think if I were to do so. After Hybrid Theory, then came Reanimation and I loved both albums so much that I felt their music was saving my life for the better. While finishing junior high, I started to change my way of being. When I went to high school, my freshman year, the album Meteora came out. The song Somewhere I Belong spoke to me and I went on a Linkin Park craze just watching the music video over and over, I sang it like every day. I fell in love with every other album that Linkin Park did after that, Chester Bennington and Linkin Park inspired me not to think of suicide. I started to belong when I joined sports in high school, I sang Linkin Park daily with acknowledging that they saved my life from suicide. When I graduated high school, I joined the Marine Corps and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, AZ. While there at MCAS Yuma, Minutes to Midnight came out and I fell in deep love with that album and acknowledging the theme song to Transformers [What I’ve Done], and Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen [New Divide] and Transformers 3 [Iridescent]. Then, when SAW 7 3D Final Chapter Came out and Chester Bennington was in it, I was hooked even more so. Though I was in the Marine Corps, I still had people put me down and make me feel unwanted, but I knew listening to Linkin Park would help me remind me why I was still here. At this point in my life, I thank Linkin Park for everything I’ve done in my life because, without them, I’d be six feet under. I know that around 2004-2005, Mike Shinoda had his own band Fort Minor and I loved their music as well. I also loved Chester’s band, Dead By Sunrise. The song I fell in love with was Morning After. When One More Light came out, the song One More Light spoke volumes to me and I performed that song at my America’s Got Talent Audition. Due to Chester Bennington and the band Linkin Park saving my life, I’ve been able to become a U.S. Marine, become friends with folks from high school and grade school, audition for X-Factor, American Idol, The Voice and America’s Got Talent. I’m a singer, songwriter, and poet all before thirty years old. I have followed Linkin Park’s career through almost everything. On July 10th, 2017, I was extremely excited to buy a ticket to see Linkin Park in Phoenix, AZ as a birthday present for myself. Then came July 20th 2017 when Chester Bennington passed away and it broke my heart into a million pieces. I was extremely emotional, and I couldn’t stop listening to any Linkin Park music I had it on replay every day and every month. I was lucky to get a ticket to the Linkin Park Chester Bennington Tribute concert. I went by the little hairs on my neck and being there at the Hollywood Bowl was an experience I’ll never forget. I flooded my Facebook, Instagram with everything Linkin Park. I kept doing Linkin Park covers and I was extremely brokenhearted and then came Mike Shinoda with Post Traumatic which started to mend the pieces of my heart. I’ve even gone as far as to advocate for Talinda Bennington to help with Mental Health, promoting 320 Changes Direction and whenever someone says they are depressed; I refer them to 320 Changes Direction. For Halloween last year [2018], I had Custom made wrestling trunks made since I dress up each year as a Pro Wrestler for Halloween and I made a tribute to Chester Bennington. In conclusion, this is how the band Linkin Park and Chester Bennington changed my life forever.

Chester’s voice gave us all encouragement and relatable lyrics in times when we needed it the most.

Chester had a heart of gold, he touched everyone's life. He touched my life when I was going through a lot, even to this day. He was blessed to be who he was. And I thank God for him. I just wish he knew how much he's touched us all. May he rest in peace.

There were moments in my life when I used to feel down and left out and had no one to talk. At these times I used to listen to him, every freaking time I used to listen to that playlist. Miss you. #Chester #LinkinPark

I've been listening to Linkin Park for six years and all this time they helped me to go through my hard and dark days. Chester's voice and stories that he told through lyrics impacted me as a person. When no one believed in me, when I was feeling bad or when I wanted to hurt myself, Linkin Park has always been with me and I know they always will be. And I always will be grateful to them for saving my life every day.

When I was little, like thirteen years old, I had a group of friends, we were really close one to another. One time we were at a park, we were talking about me going to the United States, to live with my mom, (I live in Mexico with my Grandma and my son), well, we had a really deep talk about it, they didn't want me to go and of course I didn't want to leave. I remember the song Shadow of the Day made everything easier. I listened to the song at least eight times a day for over a week, finally the day came and of course, I was sad, but in that time I remembered the phrase, "The sun will set for you" and that's how the five years I lived in the United States were easy. Chester will always be my role model, and one of my idols, he will always be in my heart, Linkin Park has always been my favourite rock band since I was ten years old. ❤️

The first time I heard Chester sing was on my mum's old iPod. It was Blackout and I was around 8/9 and felt like a badass for listening to a song with a swear word. New Divide came on later and I just absolutely loved it. My dad was moving out at the time and I was angry and confused and that music encapsulated what I felt. When I was 12, my uncle bought me ATS, Reanimation, Collision Course and Hybrid Theory for my birthday and as I was waiting to rip them to my laptop, I started reading through the booklets and fell in love with all of them. I started to watch all the interviews I could, buying magazines when they were on the cover. I was drawn to Chester because of all he'd been through and he was still so strong and kind and amazing. I not only looked up to him but felt some weird connection, like he could be there in ways my family couldn't. This continued and still does, even now. I was fortunate enough to meet Chester in 2017 and gave him a letter, bearing my heart and soul and he promised me that he'd read it. He was so friendly and patient and down-to-earth, and I couldn't be more grateful that I got that chance. Now, I get to do what I love and help soldiers in the LP community. I've learned so much about mental health, having compassion and taking care of myself. I was at a really low point in my life a few years ago, to the point where I wanted to give up and almost attempted to twice, but just having LP's music to fall back on and being able to connect with like-minded people has kept me going time and time again. I couldn't be more grateful to not just Chester, but the whole band, and I will try with everything I have to make it up to them by carrying on and doing my best to make Chester proud.

Chester, moreover, Linkin Park, has impacted my life greatly. I had a very strong connection to Chester, I have just as strong of a connection to the rest of the band. It all started in 2001 when I was one year old. I had heard In The End from a relative and immediately loved the song. I think it was more of the sound or the tune that soothed my infant mind. However, it stuck with me, my Dad bought me the single on cassette tape, and I played that song on repeat for a long time. When I was about two, I got the album Hybrid Theory and Frat Party at the Pancake Festival, I listened to that every chance I got, I watched that documentary quite a bit too. I wasn't quite old enough to understand the lyrics or the documentary yet, but I was starting to learn them, and the documentary still interested me. When Christmas 2003 rolled around, I got Live In Texas and Meteora. That was when I really started to idolize Chester. I would watch Live In Texas and wear sunglasses like Chester, I would rock out like he did. What I remember most is watching the music video for In The End and my favorite part being the bridge when Chester jumps and breaks the floor and all the bats come flying out. I'd always imitate that by jumping off the couch and onto the floor or the air mattress I slept on at my dad's house, we went through quite a bit of those cause I'd always pop them trying to be Chester. Over the next few years, it was a constant cycle. I'd listen to Hybrid Theory and Meteora during car rides or whenever I had the chance to, I'd watch and sing along with Live In Texas to get all my energy out. The older I got, the more I got to know the lyrics. My fandom continued all the way through Minutes To Midnight and Road To Revolution. However, when I turned ten, I moved to a different house, and I didn't have internet, so I lost touch with LP before A Thousand Suns. I still listened to what I had though. I didn't get internet until I was fourteen, immediately I started listening to all the music I missed, read articles, watched documentaries, watched concerts on YouTube, learned all the lyrics, learned more about their origin, about Chester's origin, etc. I remember that point being the time when I really grew a strong connection with Chester. My home life wasn't great, I was bullied a lot. And I was really depressed. I'd always turn to his lyrics, to his words in interviews and documentaries, and I'd always find it would help me feel better. I looked up to Chester in every way. All that was missing was going to my first show and meeting them. I had the chance in 2015, but unfortunately, Chester had broken his leg and had to cancel. I was sad, but I waited until the next album. When One More Light came out, I fell in love with yet another LP album. I bought tickets early July 2017 for the show on July 27th. I was incredibly excited. My first show, the first opportunity for a meet and greet. I had all these things I wanted to say to Chester and the band, first and foremost I just wanted to give him a giant hug. After all, he saved me in a way. I grew up with them, and they've been a huge part of my life. Ever since Chester's passing, at first it didn't feel real, it was like I lost a family member. Of course, no one seemed to understand except for other LP fans. Some of which are my greatest friends to this day. I've kept Chester's memory alive by always listening to his music, watching shows, posting about him, etc. I know this was long, but Chester has impacted my life in a lot of ways for a very long time!

I've been listening to Linkin Park for years and they've always helped me through difficult times, whenever I was in a bad mood they were there. Now I'll tell you the story. I was is the car with my father, my brother and my father's partner. Then he puts a cd and it was them. I was struck by Chaz's voice, so delicate at first and then so... strong. He screamed everything he felt: anger, frustration, sadness, all in simple words. I followed his example and talked about my problems, and now I'm fine. When I heard about his death I was destroyed... My big brother ... was dead? I cried a lot that day, it was terrible. I just want to say one thing: don't insult him just because he made that mistake, he was an amazing person. Kind, nice, helpful... and some insult him just because he tied a rope around his neck and let himself go. Please don't do it. <Who cares if one more light goes out?> <Well, we do.>

What should I say about Chester? Well I could spend a lifetime with it, because the first time I saw it in a video of their song I saw the way it sang and how it set the tone in what it does, then I looked for some curiosity about his life and he really struck me, how a person had a difficult past, he always kept on fighting and showing that he was happy and that he wanted to make others laugh and feel good, in fact he succeeded, but as demons inside him they were tormenting and it was frustration for him. I saw in Chester a person full of feelings capable of popping out, I know very well how much you fought and I admire you also for this quality of yours, even if you have so many but this is surely the best! We miss you so much Chester and I hope that from up there you can see all the smiles of your fans and friends, I really miss you a lot, a kiss to the greatest person I've ever seen, great champion!

Modern music nowadays all sounds the same like it’s on a loop, an endless cycle that repeats over and over and over again. Most of the time, they are soppy love songs, there’s no message or inspiration, no story or something to look up to or make you feel better about yourself. But that was Chester to me, he did all those things. He inspired people not only through his music abut through his character and sometimes goofy smile. I love LP in general, but Chester seemed like such a light, a beacon of hope, someone to look up to, someone you can look at and think, “Yes, this is a guy I want to listen to.” Chester was such a friendly and approachable person which made fans love him and he loved them in return. To me, Chester wasn’t just an artist that made amazing music, he was someone to follow and laugh with. Someone who could put a smile on your face from watching funny interviews of him and his bandmates. To me, Chester was a hero and his name and image, his whole being even, is something that will never be forgotten by those that love him. I hope to keep making him proud by staying positive and never forgetting who he was or what he was about, which was his fans, his music and his family. Chester, I hope I’m making you proud.