Fans were heartbroken when Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park, completed his life at just 41 late last July.
One week before he took his own life, Bennington and his bandmates recorded an episode of ‘Carpool Karaoke’ with actor Ken Jeong. His family and friends included a forward to the episode, which now has over 10 millions views on Facebook:
“With the blessing of Chester’s family and his bandmates, we share this episode, and dedicate it to the memory of Chester.”
Chester, Ken, and company croon Outkast’s “Hey Ya,” Linkin Park’s “Numb,” “In the End,” “Talking to Myself” and The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.” They end up on a party bus singing traditional karaoke. The entire 23-minute episode shows Chester laughing and dancing, a giant grin on his face. It is difficult to watch, knowing he would take his own life less than one week later.
I am in shock and heartbroken. All my thoughts and prayers go out to Chester and his family and friends at this time.
— Ken Jeong (@kenjeong) July 20, 2017
In the wake of his tragic passing, Chester’s bandmates established The One More Light Fund. Their website reads: “Music For Relief has established the One More Light fund in memory of co-founder, Chester Bennington. The fund will honor his generous spirit and his desire to help others.”
The proceeds are currently going towards helping families in Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean recover from the catastrophic damage inflicted by the recent hurricanes.
Many of the Facebook comments note how insidious the beast of depression can be and thank Chester’s family and bandmates for sharing this tragic example of that.
The ‘Carpool Karaoke’ episode hammers home just how inconspicuous concealed depression can be and how the signs or moods one usually associates with this mental disorder oftentimes simply do not exist. If you or anyone you know is struggling, know there are anonymous resources available to ensure you do not suffer alone.