British rock band ColdPlay started off their North American concert tour on Aug. 1 with its frontman and keyboardist Chris Martin paying tribute to Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington. The “Yellow” singer moved thousands of concert goers to tears when he performed LP’s song “Crawling” from its 2000 debut album “Hybrid Theory.” The English band performed at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and thousands of fans attended the event to see them live.
LP’s frontman was found dead on July 20 by his housekeeper in his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Celebrities and artists reacted to his tragic death and Martin is apparently one of them.
The heartbreaking tribute
The frontman of Coldplay played a ballad version of the song “Crawling” on a piano and said that the song was dedicated to “anyone who’s missing someone.” It was a heart-rending message for everyone who has suffered loss, especially of Chester Bennington’s friends and family. Concert goers were shattered too and many of them took to social media to express their sorrow and support to the British rock band as well as to Linkin Park.
“Chris Martin paying tribute to the late [frontman] of Linkin Park. Moving moment. What a class act,” a fan @roadforestnyc captioned a photo that he posted on Instagram.
Before Coldplay performed Linkin Park’s “Crawling,” American singer Kiiara on July 30 also performed at the Panorama Festival in New York City and paid tribute to the late Chester Bennington with the song “Heavy.” The song was her collaboration with LP, which also brought many fans to tears when she serenaded them. Numerous artists also expressed their grief over the singer’s death including Imagine Dragons, Billy Idol, among others. His funeral on July 29 was surrounded by many musicians in addition to his friends and family.
He died by hanging himself with a half-full alcohol bottle found at the scene although no other drugs were found.
The British band’s success
Coldplay gained international recognition when they released their single “Yellow” in 2000. The band was formed by Chris Martin and its lead guitarist Jonny Buckland in 1996 at University College London. They have earned a total of 62 awards, which includes nine Brit Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, seven Grammy Awards and more. Selling over 80 million copies globally, the band has been established as one of the world’s best-selling musicians. The band has also performed in several charity projects around the world.
Spotify in December 2014 also named Coldplay as the world’s most-streamed band for the year. Yes, and it was called ‘Yellow’.