33 Day CAS Challenge – Day 27 Favourite Celebrity

(May Contain Swearing / Cussing / Profanity / Sexual Abuse / Drug Use / Alcoholism / Mentions of Suicide)

Note: This is one of the most emotional blog updates I have ever put up.

Favourite Celebrity

“You can’t be afraid of people willing to hurt you, cause if you fear life, then you will never live.” – Chester Bennington

Chester Bennington

Chester Bennington (March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He served as lead singer for the bands Dead by Sunrise, Grey Daze, Stone Temple Pilots and his most well known band, Linkin Park . He was widely regarded as one of the top rock vocalists of the 2000s.

Bennington first gained prominence as a vocalist following the release of Linkin Park’s debut album, Hybrid Theory, in 2000, which became a commercial success. The album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2005, making it the best-selling debut album of the decade, as well as one of the few albums ever to hit that many sales. Linkin Park’s following studio albums, from Meteora (2003) to One More Light (2017), continued the band’s success. Linkin Park has sold over 100 million records worldwide.

“I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter.” – In The End, Linkin Park

Chester was born on March 20, 1976, in Pheonix, Arizona. His mother was a nurse, while his father was a police detective who worked on child sexual abuse cases.

Bennington took interest in music at a young age, citing the bands Depeche Mode and Stone Temple Pilots as his earliest inspirations, and dreamed of becoming a member of Stone Temple Pilots, which he later achieved when he became their lead singer.

Bennington suffered sexual abuse from an older male friend when he was seven years old. He was afraid to ask for help because he did not want people to think he was gay or lying, and the abuse continued until the age of 13 years.

His parents divorced when he was 11 years old. The abuse and situation at home affected him so much that he felt the urge to kill people and run away. To comfort himself, he drew pictures and wrote poetry and songs.

After the divorce his father gained custody of him. Bennington started abusing alcohol, marijuana, opium, cocaine, meth, and LSD. He was physically bullied in high school. In an interview, he said that he was “knocked around like a rag doll at school, for being skinny and looking different.”

At the age of 17 years, Bennington moved in with his mother and was banned from leaving the house when his mother discovered his drug activity. He worked at Burger King before starting his career as a professional musician.

Eventually, Bennington was able to overcome his drug addition and would go on to denounce drug use in future interviews. During one Linkin Park tour, he started drinking heavily. In 2011, he said he had quit, noting, “I just don’t want to be that person anymore.”

Years later he revealed the ab’s identity to his father but chose not to continue the case after he realized the ab was a victim himself.

On July 20, 2017 at 9:00am Chester was found dead in his Palos Verdes Estates home in California. His death was ruled a suicide.

“Should’ve stayed. Were the signs I ignored? Can I help you not to hurt anymore? We saw brilliance when the world was asleep. There are things that we can have but can’t keep.” – One More Light, Linkin Park

What Chester meant / means to me

Chester, although I never met him or saw Linkin Park live, meant the fucking world to me. To me, Chester was a warrior, a good soldier in a storm because of everything he had been through. For me, if Chester could get through the storm and fight another day, I could! When news first broke about a 41-year-old man found dead in his home in California, to me nothing crossed my mind to make me think it was him, and when I found out it was, it literally broke me. To know that my hero, the person that gave me strength to fight my battles and get through the day and not give up, had given up — I was, I was broken-hearted. To this day I haven’t listened to Linkin Park songs, I’ve tried my best to stay away from them and photos of Chester, because every time I hear a song play (Specifically One More Light) or see his face it’s like a hit to the guts all over again. I’ve wondered lately, “Why is it that I am still getting choked up over Chester when it’s been 373 Days (1 year and 8 days) since his death” and the answer is simple: Chester embodied strength to me, that if he could fight to get to the next day and the next, then I could too. But when the darkness took over and he chose suicide as his way out, to me that was “If he couldn’t get through, if Chester fucking Bennington couldn’t find the strength to fight the battle and win the war, then how could I do it? How could I find the strength that he couldn’t.” And I still think and believe this.

Chester Bennington

Personality:

Name: Chester Charles Bennington

Age: 41

Birthday: March 20, 1976

Date of Death: July 20, 2017

Marital Status: Samantha Olit (married.1996-divorded.2005), Talinda Bentley (married.2006)

Children: Lila, Isaiah, Lily, Tyler, Jamie, Draven

Aspiration: Musical Genius

Traits: Music Lover, Gloomy, Creative, M

Outfits:

Everyday:

Formal:

Athletic:

Sleepwear:

Party:

Swimwear:

Hot Weather:

Cold Weather:

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