Chester Bennington of Linkin Park remembered by Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst
Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit fame is remembering his good friend Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who killed himself last Thursday. Linkin Park has performed frequently with Limp Bizkit since the early 2000s, and Durst shared his memories of Bennington with Variety.
Durst talked about being there when Linkin Park played their first show in Europe.
"They came in our dressing rooms and they were clearly both so excited and so shy," Durst told Variety.
Linkin Park was playing before Limp Bizkit that night.
"I remember seeing them on the side of the stage and as we're performing, I was thinking to myself, 'Chester's voice is going to blow these kids the f— up,'" Durst said. "It was a great moment and I'm happy now to have had it."
Durst also said that Bennington was thoughtful and never wanted to unload his misery onto other people.
"Often those types of people have so much pain and torture inside that the last thing they want is to contaminate or break the spirit of others," he said. "He would go out of his way to make sure you knew he truly cares."
Durst said that he and Bennington gave each other credit for artistic growth; he said in his last conversation with Bennington, the Linkin Park singer thanked Durst for paving the way for bands like his.
"In return, I told him if it weren't for him and his voice and his words, this genre would never have reached the masses and affected so many lives," said Durst. "I thanked him for being so courageous and humble and for always being such a gentleman. We laughed and hugged and told jokes as if there would always be a tomorrow for us to meet again."
Durst said he wishes he could hug Bennington and talk about his pain with him, but, he said, "I won't get that hug and that moment now, which makes me so sad."
Bennington's death was ruled as a suicide by hanging after an autopsy was conducted on Friday. No drugs were evident in Bennington's room at his home in Palos Verdes Estate, California.