Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words. As clichéd as that saying may be, it's fitting for Linkin Park's tribute to Chester Bennington posted on Twitter. The music industry was shocked on Thursday when it was announced that Bennington died at age 41 after an apparent suicide. His bandmate, Mike Shinoda, confirmed the devastating news in a tweet. Shinoda wrote,
"Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one."
While an official statement from the group has yet to be released (which is understandable, considering they're likely still wrapping their heads around this tragedy), Linkin Park's official Twitter account shared a powerful image of Bennington, no caption necessary. In a single photo, you can see the singer doing what he did best — captivating an entire crowd, surrounded by fans. For many, Linkin Park's music, and Bennington's vocals in particular, helped get them through dark times and made them feel less alone, especially during those tough teenage years.
In only 15 minutes, the band's post had more than 20,000 retweets, clearly resonating with fans. Linkin Park's official Facebook page also swapped their cover photo and profile image to pictures of Bennington. Just like with Twitter, fan reactions began pouring in the comments section with heartfelt condolences.
From sharing photos to tweeting lyrics, fans and celebrities alike are remembering Bennington's impact on the music industry as a whole. So it's all the more powerful, albeit heartbreaking, to see his own band honor his memory.
In addition to Shinoda's tweet, bandmate Dave "Phoneix" Farrell simply wrote, "heartbroken," on the social media site. Again, sometimes a simple statement says enough, especially when reeling from such a loss.
While further comments from the band will likely roll out soon, their photo tribute speaks for itself. Bennington was a man who gave his all to his music, and he's already sorely missed.
