07/20/2017
My life truly wouldn't have been what it is, without the influence of Chester Bennington and the rest of LINKIN PARK, and today, it changed again as a result of this horrible news.
Linkin Park was one of the first bands to make me interested in music enough to pick up an intstrument. One of the first songs I ever learned on guitar was Breaking The Habit. If you listened to ANY of the bands I was in since highschool, you could clearly see the influence Hybrid Theory and Meteora had on my writing and style. It was the music that opened up my mind to the concept of mixing contrasting textures and genres. Absolutely any one of my musician friends, knows how big of a role Chester and LP played in my formation as a musician. When Chris Cornell left us, it was sad and actually stopped me in my tracks for a couple days, something that hasn't happened to me due to a celebrity passing prior aside from Robin Williams. To find out that one of my biggest idols and part of the most inspirational groups in my life, ended his own life on Chris Cornell's birthday, has sent me into a sadness I have never experienced from a celebrity death.
Today this world lost an icon, enormous motivator, unreal talent, and ultimately a hero to many. My heart goes out to anyone who knew him personally, all the guys previous and current in LP, and anyone who was a fan.
Please, watch for the signs. If you have any reason to believe someone is having a hard time, don't just brush it off as a bad day. Talk to them and if you can't get through, talk to others who can help. If you are on the reverse side please ask for help. Call the hotline. Do something.
