History of Chester Bennington in Timeline
Chester Bennington was an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the iconic rock band Linkin Park. His powerful and emotive vocals, coupled with the band's unique blend of rock, hip-hop, and electronic elements, propelled them to international fame. Beyond Linkin Park, Bennington also fronted bands like Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots, showcasing his versatility as a vocalist. His struggles with mental health and substance abuse were well-documented, and he tragically passed away in 2017, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the music world.
March 20, 1976: Chester Bennington's Birth
On March 20, 1976, Chester Charles Bennington was born. He would later become the lead vocalist of the rock band Linkin Park.
1993: Start with Sean Dowdell and His Friends? and Formation of Grey Daze
In 1993, Chester Bennington began singing with Sean Dowdell and His Friends?, releasing a cassette. Later, Dowdell and Bennington formed the post-grunge band Grey Daze.
1993: Moving in with His Mother
In 1993, at the age of 17, Chester Bennington moved in with his mother and faced restrictions due to her discovery of his drug use. He worked at Burger King before his music career.
1994: Wake Me Album Release by Grey Daze
In 1994, Chester Bennington's band Grey Daze released the album Wake Me.
October 31, 1996: Marriage to Samantha Marie Olit
On October 31, 1996, Chester Bennington married his first wife, Samantha Marie Olit.
1997: ...No Sun Today Album Release by Grey Daze
In 1997, Chester Bennington's band Grey Daze released the album ...No Sun Today.
1997: Adoption of Elka Brand's Son
In 2006, Chester Bennington adopted Elka Brand's other son, who was born in 1997.
1998: Departure from Grey Daze
In 1998, Chester Bennington left the band Grey Daze.
October 24, 2000: Release of Hybrid Theory
On October 24, 2000, Linkin Park released their debut album, Hybrid Theory, through Warner Records. Bennington and Shinoda co-wrote the lyrics, focusing on universal feelings and experiences.
2000: Release of Hybrid Theory
In 2000, Linkin Park released their debut album, Hybrid Theory, marking a breakthrough for Chester Bennington as a vocalist. It achieved worldwide commercial success.
2002: Birth of Son Draven
In 2002, Chester Bennington and Samantha Marie Olit had one child together, Draven.
2002: Bennington Discusses Songwriting
In early 2002, Chester Bennington discussed the songwriting experience for Hybrid Theory with Rolling Stone magazine, highlighting the personal responsibility reflected in songs like "Crawling".
2003: Release of Meteora
In 2003, Linkin Park released their album Meteora, which charted within the top three spots of the Billboard 200.
2003: Health Issues During Meteora Filming
In the summer of 2003, Chester Bennington suffered from extreme abdominal pain and gastrointestinal issues while filming the music video for "Numb" in Prague, requiring surgery and a return to the United States.
2005: Co-founding Dead by Sunrise
In 2005, Chester Bennington co-founded Dead by Sunrise, an electronic rock band from Los Angeles, California.
2005: Collaborations and Performances in 2005
In 2005, Chester Bennington collaborated on "Walking Dead" with Z-Trip, made a surprise appearance at Coachella, and re-recorded "Home Sweet Home" with Mötley Crüe for Hurricane Katrina victims.
2005: Divorce from Samantha Marie Olit
In 2005, Chester Bennington divorced his first wife, Samantha Marie Olit, after their relationship declined during his early years with Linkin Park.
2005: Hybrid Theory Certified Diamond
In 2005, Hybrid Theory was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. It became the bestselling debut album of the decade.
2006: Adoption of Elka Brand's Son
In 2006, Chester Bennington adopted Elka Brand's other son, born in 1997.
2006: Appearance in Crank
In 2006, Chester Bennington appeared as an actor in the film Crank.
2006: Performance with Alice in Chains
In 2006, Chester Bennington joined Alice in Chains to perform "Man in the Box" at KROQ's Inland Invasion Festival.
2006: Marriage to Talinda Ann Bentley
In 2006, Chester Bennington married Talinda Ann Bentley, a former Playboy model.
October 2007: Wrist Injury in Melbourne
In October 2007, Chester Bennington sustained a wrist injury attempting a jump during a show in Melbourne, but continued to perform the entire show before seeking medical attention.
2007: Friendship with Chris Cornell Strengthens
During the 2007–2008 Projekt Revolution Tour, Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell strengthened their friendship by performing together on stage. Bennington joined Cornell on stage to sing Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike".
2007: Feature on Young Buck's 'Slow Ya Roll'
In 2007, Chester Bennington was featured on Young Buck's song "Slow Ya Roll" from the album Buck The World.
2007: Release of Minutes to Midnight
In 2007, Linkin Park released their third album, Minutes to Midnight, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.
May 2008: Live Debut of Dead by Sunrise
In May 2008, Dead by Sunrise made their live debut at the 13th anniversary party for Club Tattoo in Tempe, Arizona.
2008: Friendship with Chris Cornell Strengthens
During the 2007–2008 Projekt Revolution Tour, Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell strengthened their friendship by performing together on stage. Cornell joined Linkin Park to sing "Crawling".
2008: Cyberstalker Found Guilty
In 2008, Chester and Talinda Bennington were harassed by a cyberstalker, who was later found guilty of tampering with their personal information and sending threatening messages.
October 13, 2009: Release of Out of Ashes
On October 13, 2009, Dead by Sunrise released their debut album, Out of Ashes.
2010: Appearance in Saw 3D
In 2010, Chester Bennington appeared as an actor in the film Saw 3D.
2010: Recording 'Crazy' with Slash (Unreleased)
In 2010, Chester Bennington recorded a track titled "Crazy" for Slash's debut solo album, but it was blocked from release due to commitments with Linkin Park.
January 2011: Response to Tucson Shooting
In a January 2011 interview, Chester Bennington responded to the 2011 Tucson shooting by emphasizing non-violence and respect for life.
2011: Birth of Twins
In 2011, Chester Bennington and Talinda Ann Bentley welcomed twins.
2011: Illness and Shoulder Injury
In 2011, Chester Bennington fell ill, forcing Linkin Park to cancel and reschedule shows. He also injured his shoulder during the band's tour in Asia, leading to canceled shows and the end of their tour.
2012: Linkin Park Voted Greatest Artist of the 2000s
In 2012, Linkin Park was voted as the greatest artist of the 2000s in a Bracket Madness poll on VH1.
February 2013: Stone Temple Pilots Part Ways With Scott Weiland
In February 2013, Stone Temple Pilots parted ways with their long-time lead singer, Scott Weiland.
May 2013: Bennington Joins Stone Temple Pilots
In May 2013, Stone Temple Pilots recruited Chester Bennington to replace Scott Weiland as their lead singer.
May 18, 2013: Performance at KROQ's Weenie Roast
On May 18, 2013, Chester Bennington performed at KROQ's Weenie Roast with Stone Temple Pilots, including original songs and their first single with Bennington, "Out of Time".
2013: Joining Stone Temple Pilots and High Rise EP Release
In 2013, Chester Bennington became the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and on October 8, 2013, they released the extended play record High Rise through Play Pen.
January 2015: Ankle Injury During Basketball Game
In January 2015, Chester Bennington injured his ankle during a basketball game, leading to the cancellation of the remainder of Linkin Park's tour for surgery and recovery.
2015: Departure from Stone Temple Pilots
In 2015, Chester Bennington left Stone Temple Pilots due to his commitments with Linkin Park.
2016: Tour with Kings of Chaos
In 2016, Chester Bennington performed with Kings of Chaos during their six-show concert tour.
January 29, 2017: Criticism of Donald Trump on Twitter
On January 29, 2017, Chester Bennington tweeted that Donald Trump was "a greater threat to the USA than terrorism".
May 18, 2017: Chris Cornell's Death
On May 18, 2017, Chris Cornell died by suicide. Chester Bennington wrote an open letter to Cornell on Instagram and was emotional during Linkin Park's performance of "One More Light" in Cornell's honor on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
May 26, 2017: Performance at Chris Cornell's Funeral
On May 26, 2017, one week after his Kimmel performance, Chester Bennington sang Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah" at Chris Cornell's funeral in Los Angeles with Brad Delson on guitar.
July 20, 2017: Chester Bennington's Death
On July 20, 2017, Chester Charles Bennington, the lead vocalist of Linkin Park, passed away.
October 12, 2017: Airing of Carpool Karaoke Episode
On October 12, 2017, the Carpool Karaoke: The Series episode filmed by Chester Bennington six days before his death was aired with his family's permission.
2017: Release of One More Light
In 2017, Linkin Park released their album One More Light, which charted within the top three spots of the Billboard 200.
May 2021: Snippet of 'Crazy' Released
In May 2021, a snippet of the original track "Crazy" featuring Chester Bennington recorded with Slash was finally released.
February 23, 2024: Release of Unreleased Linkin Park Song "Friendly Fire"
On February 23, 2024, Linkin Park released the unreleased song "Friendly Fire," featuring vocal tracks recorded by Chester Bennington during the One More Light sessions.
September 5, 2024: Linkin Park Announces Reunion and New Album
On September 5, 2024, Linkin Park announced they would reunite after a seven-year hiatus and release a new album, From Zero. The reunion also includes a six-date international tour and the introduction of two new members: Emily Armstrong as co-lead vocalist and Colin Brittain as drummer.
November 15, 2024: Linkin Park Releases 'From Zero'
On November 15, 2024, Linkin Park released their new album, 'From Zero', marking their reunion after a seven-year hiatus.
2024: Draven Comes Out As Transgender
In 2024, Draven, Chester Bennington's child with Samantha Marie Olit, came out as transgender.
2024: Emily Armstrong Cites Bennington as Inspiration
In 2024, during an interview with Zane Lowe, Emily Armstrong, Bennington's successor in Linkin Park, cited Bennington's performance in "One Step Closer" from the album Hybrid Theory as her inspiration to become a singer.
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