Legendary rock band Linkin Park was formed in Southern California in 1996 when three school friends - drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson and vocalist Mike Shinoda - decided to create something out of the ordinary.
They combined their three talents, which they did not in vain. Shortly after the release, they increased their line-up and added three more members: bassist Dave Farrell, turnablist (something like a DJ, but cooler) - Joe Hahn and temporary vocalist Mark Wakefield.
Calling themselves first SuperXero and then simply Xero, the band began recording demos but failed to generate much listener interest.
FULL COMPOSITION AND NAME OF THE GROUP
Xero's lack of success prompted Wakefield's departure, after which Chester Bennington joined the band as the band's frontman in 1999.
The band changed their name to Hybrid Theory (an allusion to the band's hybrid sound, combining rock and rap), but after running into legal issues with another very similar name, the band chose Lincoln Park after a nearby park in Santa Monica, California.
But once the group discovered that others already owned the Internet domain, they changed their name slightly to Linkin Park.
CHESTER BENNINGTON
Chester Bennington was one of the legendary rock band's lead vocalists, known for his high-pitched voice that mesmerized countless fans.
What made him particularly special was the fact that he rose to fame after facing innumerable hardships as a youngster.
Bennington's childhood was far from rosy. His parents divorced when he was very young and he became a victim of sexual abuse. As a teenager, he became addicted to drugs to cope with emotional stress and worked many jobs to pay for his drug habit.
He was a lonely boy and had almost no friends. It was this loneliness that gradually began to fuel his passion for music, and he soon became part of his first band, Sean Dowdell and His Friends?. He later joined the band, Gray Daze. But his career as a musician began after he auditioned to be part of the band Linkin Park.
The creation of the band's debut album, Hybrid Theory, established Bennington as a true musician, earning him much-needed and well-deserved recognition as one of the most iconic figures in music in the 21st century.
He did not hide his personal life. He had a relationship with Elka Brand, with whom he has a child, Jamie. He later adopted her son Isaiah. In 1996, he linked himself with Samantha Marie Olit. The couple were blessed with a child, Draven Sebastian Bennington, but the two divorced in 2005.
After he divorced his first wife, he married former Playboy model, Talinda Ann Bentley. The couple had three children. On July 20, 2017, his lifeless body was found in his home. He committed suicide by hanging himself. He is said to have been very upset after the death of his friend Chris Cornell in May 2017. Bennington's suicide happened on the day Cornell would have turned 53.
Linkin Park INSTANT SUPERSTARS
Linkin Park released their first album in 2000. They really liked the name "Hybrid Theory". Therefore, if it was impossible to call it that, they used this phrase for the album title.
It was an immediate success. Became one of the biggest debuts of all time. Sold about 10 million copies in the US. Several hit singles were born, such as "In the End" and "Crawling". Over time, the guys became one of the most successful in the young rap-rock movement.
In 2002, Linkin Park launched Projekt Revolution, a near-annual headlining tour. It brings together various bands from the world of hip hop and rock for a series of concerts. Since its inception, Projekt Revolution has included various artists such as Cypress Hill, Korn, Snoop Dogg and Chris Cornell.
WORKING WITH JAY-Z
After the release of the popular album Hybrid Theory, the band started working on a new album called Meteora (2003). One of the most important events was the collaboration with rap legend Jay-Z in 2004 on the recording of "Collision Course".
The album was unique in that it was in it that "mixing" took place. A song appeared that consisted of already well-recognized fragments of two existing songs that were from different musical genres. Collision Course, which combines tracks from Jay-Z and Linkin Park, took first place on the Billboard charts, becoming one of the most high-profile projects in the world.
TOURING LIFE AND LATEST NEWS
While Meteora represented a continuation of Hybrid Theory's "Rock-Meet-Rap" strategy, and Collision Course demonstrated the band's full embrace of hip-hop textures, Linkin Park's next studio album will move away from rap and towards more atmospheric, introspective material.
Although 2007's "Minutes to Midnight" was less commercially successful than the band's previous studio recordings, it still sold over 2 million copies in the US and placed four singles on the Billboard Rock Tracks chart. In addition, the single "Shadow of the Day" enjoyed platinum sales. Won Best Rock Video at the 2008 MTV VMAs.
Linkin Park returned with A Thousand Suns which was released in 2010. It was a concept album, where the record was supposed to be perceived as one complete 48-minute piece. The first single "The Catalyst" made history. It became the first song to debut on the Billboard Rock Songs chart.
The group later returned in 2012 with Living Things. The album was preceded by the single "Burn It Down". In 2014, with The Hunting Party, they wanted to return to a more guitar sound. The album had a heavy rock feel reminiscent of their earlier work.
It's no secret that after Chester's death, the band stopped touring and writing songs so violently. But they are still afloat and are preparing for a European tour. Also, they are looking for a new vocalist. Well, as in the search. In one interview, Mike Shinoda responded like this:
“Now this is not my goal. I think it should come naturally. And if we find someone who is a wonderful person who we think is a good fit as a person and a good fit stylistically, then I could try to do something. Not for the sake of replacing… I wouldn't want us to ever feel like we're replacing Chester.”
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LINKIN PARK
- During the early days, the band recorded and produced their songs in Mike Shinoda's impromptu studio due to limited resources.
- As a child, Chester Bennington was the victim of sexual abuse. It started when he was about seven years old and continued until he was thirteen. Chester was scared to tell anyone about this for fear of being a liar or being gay.
- Mike Shinoda and Mark Wakefield wrote the jokes. Just for fun, weekends in high school and college.
- Before Chester started his musical career, the guy worked at Burger King.
- Rob Bourdon, the band's drummer, started playing drums after watching an Aerosmith concert.
- Just before joining Linkin Park, Chester Bennington almost decided to quit music due to setbacks and disappointments. Even after joining the group, Bennington was homeless and lived in a car.
- Chester Bennington was prone to accidents and injuries. Chester has suffered many injuries and accidents in his life. From a recluse spider bite to a fractured wrist.
linkin park today
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the release of the debut collection, the cult band re-released the debut LP Hybrid Theory. At the end of the summer, the band delighted fans with the release of the song She Couldn't. The guys commented that the new track was supposed to be included in the debut album. But then they considered it not “tasty” enough. The song has never been played before.
