In 2007 my mom got me an iPod Nano for Christmas. The first thing I did was download Hybrid Theory, Meteora, and the newly released Minutes to Midnight. Those three albums quickly became the only thing I’d ever listen to on my free time. A year later when Linkin Park released Road To Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes I was completely consumed with the live talent that Linkin Park brought to the table. I was enamored and obsessed immediately, keeping their entire discography on loop every single day.

In the summer of 2010 the only thing on my mind was the new Halo game coming out on September 8th. But then Linkin Park announced that their fourth album, A Thousand Suns, would be released that same day. I skipped out on the midnight release of Halo: Reach with my friends and instead picked up a CD of A Thousand Suns and was so preoccupied with the album that I didn’t even get around to Halo until two days later. I have vivid memories of being 12 years old and sitting in my bed with my door locked listening to A Thousand Suns and playing Halo: Reach that to this day still stand out to me.

Myself and Mike, respectively, before our Mohegan Sun concert (August 12, 2012). This is the first photo I ever posted on Instagram.

When Living Things was released in 2012, I knew it was time to finally spend my money to see them live. My friend Mike and I went to Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on August 12, 2012 and had the pleasure of watching Linkin Park play in one of the first shows of their Living Things tour. I remember screaming the lyrics to Bleed It Out in Mike’s face, I remember shedding tears when the whole arena had their phone flashlights on collectively overpowering Chester in their singing of Leave Out All The Rest/ Iridescent/ Shadow Of The Day, and I remember going to Johnny Rockets afterward because I needed a chocolate shake to sooth my sore throat from singing for two hours straight.

Awkward 16 year old Mike and I before the 30STM/ Linkin Park show at Jones Beach (August 20, 2014)

Two years later in 2014, Linkin Park announced they were going on tour with 30 Seconds To Mars. You bet your ass Mike and I bought tickets the moment they went on sale. August 20, 2014 was the date of the second show at Jones Beach where 30 Seconds To Mars put on a show that I vividly remember saying to Mike “can not be topped. I feel bad for Linkin Park, nothing they can do right now can top that performance.” Boy was I fuckin WRONG. The blacked out stage came to life and the crowd went insane. The lights were blinding, the speakers were cranked up past their limit, I think Joe was DJing in a cage or some shit; It was absolutely unforgettable. The way they’d blend their older rap/ metal tracks with their newer more electronic and alternative tracks. Their music shouldn’t have worked, and almost always did.

I never had the opportunity to meet Chester or any other members of Linkin Park and it’s truly starting to sink in that now I never will. Chester was 41 years old, had six children, and five brothers in Joe, Brad, Rob, Dave, and Mike. I can’t begin to wonder how all of his family, both blood and musical, feel right now. No amount of words could explain what Linkin Park meant to me for all these years. From that first iPod at Christmas 2007 to today, July 20th, where I’m listening to my old A Thousand Suns vinyl I bought over four years ago. Though my musical taste has drifted from Linkin Park, there is no amount of time that will make me forget the influence they, particularly the late and extravagantly great Chester Bennington, have had on my life.

Thank you, Chester, for everything you’ve done for me in the past decade.

The most fitting way to eulogize Chester is with his own words from 2007’s “Leave Out All The Rest”

“When my time comes Forget the wrong that I’ve done Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed And don’t resent me And when you’re feeling empty Keep me in your memory Leave out all the rest Leave out all the rest”

Rest in peace, I love you, and thank you.