50 years ago, Jimi Hendrix released his debut album called Are you experienced? (Do you have enough experience?) and the second track on the record is Manic depression which has the line ‘I know what I want but don’t know how to get it’.

Chester Bennington – lead singer of the very popular American rock group Linkin’ Park – committed suicide by hanging on July 20 – Photo: Getty Images
Chester Bennington – lead vocalist of the very popular American rock group Linkin Park – committed suicide by hanging on July 20 – Photo: Getty Images
This song shows the frustration of an artist who cannot fully express what he wants, even though the music flows through his fingertips, even though the music is entwined like a lover, he still cannot the embrace of music.

Three years later, in 1970, Jimi died at the age of 27. The death is still controversial whether it was suicide or accidental drug overdose.

Jimi Hendrix’s death created public opinion for a “club” consisting of rock stars who died at the age of 27: Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain…

The previous generation of rock n’ roll worshiped hedonism and the deaths of rock stars were often due to drug overdoses and unwanted deaths.

But in the next generation, death is more likely to be an option.

Elliott Smith used a knife, Kurt Cobain used a gun, and many deaths by hanging: INXS’s Michael Hutchence, X-Japan’s Hide and Taiji, and now Linkin’ Park’s Chester Bennington.

With a rather turbulent childhood (sexually abused at age 7, parents divorced at age 11 and began to become addicted to stimulants), perhaps Chester’s way out was music. He didn’t want to rest or leave the stage.

In 2005, when he started writing music for the album Minutes to midnight, Chester felt that the songs he wrote were dark compared to the style that Linkin’ Park was pursuing, so he dedicated these songs to the group Dead By Sunrise, a group own music, another outlet for his artistic creativity.

In May 2013, when Linkin’ Park started recording their 6th album The hunting party, Chester joined the group Stone Temple Pilots.

This group has been his inspiration since childhood and the opportunity to join the idol group was a lifelong dream come true.

After two and a half years with Stone Temple Pilots, Chester left the group to focus on Linkin’ Park. But it seems there was some kind of curse on the lead singers of Stone Temple Pilots after leaving the group.

In 2015, the group’s previous lead singer, Scott Weiland, died of a drug overdose. Chester passed away about a week before Linkin’ Park began a world tour promoting their new album One More Light.

One more light received a lot of criticism from fans that the group had compromised with today’s popular music genres.

But Linkin’ Park has not passed its time, they still perform and receive enthusiastic reception from fans, Chester still explodes on stage and at the last show on July 6, 2017, he still led the whole house. Barclaycard tournament in the UK sang together the song Bleed it out.

Chester was the last person to leave the stage, extending his arms to receive the warm cheers of the audience below.

Just like Jimi Hendrix sang 50 years ago or like in Heavy, the first single from the group’s new album, Chester sang:

“I drove myself crazy thinking everything was pointing at me. I’m trying my best, why is everything so heavy?

“Don’t worry, we’re ugly but we still have music” (Leonard Cohen). Unfortunately, music was not enough to make Chester choose to stay with life…