Last Saturday, Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington was laid to rest at Palos Verdes Estates in California, nine days after his suicide by hanging on July 20. It was a private ceremony that was attended by over 500 family members and friends. Famed for his signature angry and angst-ridden vocals, Bennington and fellow vocalist Mike Shinoda had been instrumental in the worldwide success and name recognition of Linkin Park.
While his band-members have posted a tribute letter to him online, and their record label Warner Bros. have put up a commemoration to him at literally their front door, many other fans of Bennington in so many different countries have also begun to honor the singer in their own way.
L.A. Chester mural
One such memorial to Chester Bennington that is quite close to home is a mural in his image at Los Angeles. It can be found on one side of Rock’n Fries Pizza Co., on Riverside Drive not far from the Coldwater Canyon exit of the 101 Freeway. The mural, showing a shirtless Bennington – tattoos and all – was painted by local artist Jonas Never, with the pizzeria’s side door positioned just under where the Linkin Park frontman's waist is. Never worked on the mural with the help of fellow artists Kryst and Krub.
Asked why he picked Bennington as his subject, Never admitted that it was a matter of sad serendipity. He had been commissioned to paint a mural near the area that would be visible to vehicular traffic from the 101 Freeway.
Never found himself stuck for an idea until news came of the 41-year-old singer’s suicide. He then got the go-ahead from Rock’n Fries Pizza Co. owner Jim Connors and went to work immediately. Jonas noted that the mural’s visibility from the 101 meant that the other members of Linkin Park might see it when traveling to and from their home in Agoura.
Worldwide memorial listing
Jonas Never’s mural is not the only major fan tribute to Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington to catch attention. In fact, after the rock star’s death and burial, the number of memorials set up in his honor have skyrocketed to incredulous levels all over the world. To that end, recently a Google Doc was set up that was free for all to edit, in order to list every Chester Bennington memorial globally as possible.
The listings have been divided into four geographic divisions: North America, South/Central America, Europe, and Asia/Australia/New Zealand/Mideast/Africa.
The remaining members of Linkin Park have set up the One More Light Fund through their Music For Relief non-profit organization, all in honor of their late front-man Bennington.
