{"id":550395,"date":"2026-07-20T10:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T10:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/550395\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T10:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T10:47:10","slug":"he-stands-without-question-as-being-one-of-the-greatest-influences-of-our-time-on-the-anniversary-of-chris-cornells-birth-and-chester-benningtons-death-this-is-what-the-linkin-park-frontman-had","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/550395\/","title":{"rendered":"“He stands without question as being one of the greatest influences of our time.” On the anniversary of Chris Cornell’s birth and Chester Bennington’s death, this is what the Linkin Park frontman had to say about the Soundgarden legend and his dear friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

On May 18, 2017, Soundgarden<\/a> and Audioslave singer Chris Cornell<\/a> tragically took his own life aged 52. When news began filtering through of Chris’ passing, Metal Hammer began working on a special feature to honour the beloved frontman, reaching out to many of his friends and peers to pay tribute to a truly generational talent.<\/p>\n

One of those friends was Linkin Park<\/a> frontman Chester Bennington – a man who looked up to Chris, had toured with him, and who had sung live with him at numerous shows prior to his passing. Chester had even been invited to sing at Chris\u2019s funeral service at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on May 26, 2017, and it was only one week later that he spoke to Hammer about his memories of the Soundgarden man and their close friendship. Though it was clearly hard for him to talk about, Chester was gracious, generous with his time and thanked us for \u201ctaking the time to write a nice piece on someone who\u2019s contributed so much to so many people\u2019s lives\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Devastatingly, Chester would take his own life<\/a> just two months later. In a strange twist of fate, he died on what would have been Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday – July 20, 2017. It was another loss felt keenly by the rock and metal community, and one that inspired a similar outpouring of grief and love. It gave this interview – his final one given to Metal Hammer before his passing – an elevated emotional significance.<\/p>\n

Latest Videos From Louder<\/p>\n

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First of all, could you talk us through how you and Chris met?<\/p>\n

Chester Bennington: \u201cWe\u2019d done a tour in the US called Projekt Revolution, which was a semi-annual festival that Linkin Park used to put on. And we\u2019d bring in tons of different acts, and Chris Cornell was on one of our tours [in 2008]. I think this was when we were touring [third album] Minutes To Midnight. Anyway, we met then. We got along really well right away.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

I grew up listening to Soundgarden<\/p>\n

Chester Bennington<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up listening to Soundgarden<\/a>, Alice in Chains<\/a>, Nirvana<\/a>. I don\u2019t think any music scene influenced me as much as the scene that came out of Seattle. There was so much great music that came out of Seattle at that time. So it was really cool for me to be out there with one of my heroes, and we got along really well. Vicky [Cornell] and my wife, Talinda \u2013 they became best friends right away. Every day they\u2019d be hanging out, and we got really close over that tour. Our friendship really grew during that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

How did it develop from there? It sounds like it became more than just a touring buddies thing quite quickly<\/p>\n

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\u201cI don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve ever had this experience, but sometimes you meet somebody and it\u2019s like you\u2019ve known them forever. And that was really the case between our families. After that tour, we stayed in touch and that developed into Chris and Vicky asking me to be the godfather of their son, Christopher. One of my favourite memories of our friendship was the baptism and the christening and taking on that promise to the family. That was really great. Whenever they were in town we would try to connect \u2013 sometimes it was difficult because we\u2019re all so busy. Chris and I were similar in many ways in that we had a lot of dear friends but we didn\u2019t necessarily see them all the time, because our personal lives are so busy, and our dedication to our families is so strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

I guess the fact that your families came together so quickly, not just you and Chris personally, made that easier?<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think if it was just me and Chris talking, hanging out, you know, we would be good acquaintances. But the friendship between our wives, you add that into the mix and things escalate a little bit more! Ha ha ha! In terms of closeness, in terms of intimacy, it was really quite special. Our friendship grew beyond just respecting each other for what we do musically.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

How would you describe what Chris was like offstage?<\/p>\n

\u201cChris was a great father, really dedicated to his family, loved his kids more than anything. Really quiet. When you got him alone, he was really talkative. Get him into an intimate setting and a lot of personality comes out. Outside of that, pretty quiet and reserved. Really soft-spoken and very gentle.\u201d<\/p>\n

As someone who grew up as a fan of his music, I guess you must have had a strong perception of Chris. How was he compared to how you\u2019d imagined him before you started spending time together?<\/p>\n

\u201cLuckily, my experiences have been more positive than negative, but I\u2019ve had the opportunity to perform with a lot of the people that I really admired growing up, and who had a lot of influence on me. And 90% of the time it\u2019s been really wonderful, and friendships have developed. The other 10% of the time it doesn\u2019t go so well and you kinda go, \u2018Man, I wish I never met that person!\u2019 Ha ha ha! It ruins the whole thing! For me, at least. Like, \u2018Oh, man. I met that guy from that band I love and he was kind of a douche. I wish I\u2019d never met him so I could still listen to the music.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cSo meeting Chris was really\u2026 it\u2019s not like everybody gets the opportunity to do those things. And that\u2019s probably what I\u2019ve enjoyed the most in the success of Linkin Park is being able to go on tour with a lot of these guys. I do a lot of all-star band stuff; I\u2019ve played gigs with Alice in Chains, I\u2019ve done shows with Jane\u2019s Addiction, I\u2019ve done shows with Stone Temple Pilots<\/a>, I\u2019ve done shows with Chris Cornell. I\u2019ve had the opportunity to play with my favourite band, Metallica. It\u2019s just been an honour. And so Chris was definitely a highlight. And in terms of his ability to perform, the guy is in the top three male vocalists of all time. Up there with Jeff Buckley and Jimmy Gnecco from Ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you think was so unique about Chris as a performer? <\/p>\n

\u201cObviously his vocal range is incredible. The sheer power. But I think it\u2019s his songwriting that really stands out \u2013 the time signatures he uses, the chord progressions. It\u2019s a delicate balance to get technical and smart with the way you play. Especially with Soundgarden \u2013 their rhythm section was incredible. The progressions that they played were really complicated, but they had a groove. And I think that\u2019s something that\u2019s super, super difficult to pull off.\u201d<\/p>\n

And as a performer, did you take anything from him from touring together and getting to see him play every night? <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you watch greatness, you don\u2019t need to be convinced. You just watch and go, \u2018Wow.\u2019 I\u2019m getting goosebumps now just thinking about it. And so when you see someone who is truly talented and gifted do what they do, and love doing it, it\u2019s so special. When we were touring on that Projekt Revolution tour, I got to go out and sing [Temple Of The Dog<\/a>\u2019s] Hunger Strike with Chris. And Eddie Vedder is a huge influence on me too, and that was one of my favourite songs. I loved hearing those two guys do that song, so when he asked me to do it I said, \u2018OK, I\u2019ll come out and sing Eddie\u2019s parts.\u2019 He\u2019s like, \u2018Nah man, you\u2019re gonna hit the high ones.\u2019 I was like, \u2018Crap!\u2019 Ha ha ha! \u2018Oh, no!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are two times I\u2019ve been super-nervous about singing with someone. One was with Paul McCartney during the Grammys, and I had to sing high harmonies on Yesterday. You can\u2019t really screw that up! And then doing Hunger Strike with Chris, and I had to hit the really high parts. The best compliment I ever got was from Chris. After we did it, he laughed and said, \u2018Dude \u2013 you\u2019re not supposed to be able to do that, man! I made you sing that on purpose so you wouldn\u2019t do it as well!\u2019<\/p>\n

The best compliment I ever got was from Chris<\/p>\n

Chester Bennington<\/p>\n

“So that was a huge compliment to me. It\u2019s kinda funny but my wife would always tease me because when Chris and I would do that song, we would always stare at each other. She\u2019d be like, \u2018Look at you guys, staring at each other onstage all night!\u2019 That was just because of my admiration for him as a person and as a performer, and the friendship we were developing. It was just really special, it was a special time.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your fondest memory of Chris?<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely the times we had just hanging out \u2013 which were very few and far between. Sitting by the pool with the kids, just kinda talking. Obviously, the christening of his son, Christopher, and being invited into the family. That was really special.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Chris\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Cindy Ord\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

You sang at Chris\u2019s funeral. How did that come about? Were you asked to do that, or was it something that you put yourself forward to be involved in?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure exactly how the idea came up, I was just asked to sing. There was talk of maybe 10 people speaking, and it came up that maybe it might be good for someone to come in and do something musical to split up the eulogies. And so I was asked to sing, and of course I knew it would be tough. I wanted to make sure it was tasteful, and it was the right song. But Vicky wanted me to do it, so I did it. It was really up to her. She obviously said yes, but I didn\u2019t ask \u2013 I was asked to perform. I\u2019m not sure who brought up the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I just prayed on it a little bit. I said, \u2018Chris \u2013 I know you\u2019re up there, and I wanna make this special. I want it to be the right song. Put one in my head, give me the little tingly feeling. Give me something, y\u2019know?\u2019 And I knew from our conversations that he\u2019d been friends with Jeff Buckley and they were close, so I felt that Hallelujah would be a good song. It\u2019s my favourite song of all time \u2013 I think it\u2019s the best song that\u2019s ever been written \u2013 and of all the versions that have been done, Jeff Buckley\u2019s is my favourite.<\/p>\n

“So that was a nice tie, you know, somebody that Chris was close to. Another one of my favourite vocalists. And so I did that song, and I spoke with Lily, his daughter, and apparently it was something they used to sing together. Lily and [Chris\u2019s other daughter] Toni and Chris would sing together. I didn\u2019t know that until after I\u2019d performed it, but it turned out to be a very special moment. I\u2019m just really honoured that I was able to participate in a positive way.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a wonderful song, but it\u2019s so heart- breaking. We can only imagine what it must\u2019ve been like to sing a song like that at such a sensitive occasion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was tough. I believe everything is random in this universe, but that there are no accidents. That\u2019s what I believe. We were set to play Jimmy Kimmel a few days beforehand, and we switched things up. We were going to play Heavy on Jimmy Kimmel that night, but Chris had just passed so we felt like dedicating One More Light to him would be appropriate. I got to sing through that a few times, break down, cry a little bit, pull myself together. And I got to run through that experience a little bit, so I felt like that prepared me for the funeral. So I was able to keep it together pretty well, but it was tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

What do you think Chris\u2019s legacy will be? <\/p>\n

\u201cHis legacy are his children and his wife. His family will be his legacy. I think, musically, he stands without question as being one of the greatest influences of our time, from one of the greatest bands of all time. His contribution to music is unrivalled. Obviously there\u2019s tons of great musicians who contribute to the history of music, but I think Soundgarden in particular \u2013 as well as Chris on his own \u2013 will be recognised as being among the greats. In terms of his music, I think that\u2019s undeniable. In terms of him as a person, who he was as a father, as a husband, family man, friend \u2013 he was a great person, and a good person. And I think his kids will grow up to do special things with their lives.<\/p>\n

Samaritans are available for anyone who needs support, at www.samaritans.org<\/a>. You can call any time for free on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On May 18, 2017, Soundgarden and Audioslave singer Chris Cornell tragically took his own life aged 52. When…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":550396,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[458,146,85,46],"class_list":["post-550395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}