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If there was ever a rock band that managed to create a connection with all ages of fans it would have to be Linkin Park. At the heart and soul of this successful band was one Chester Bennington. Rising to prominence with the hugely successful album ‘Hybrid Theory’, Linkin Park's lead singer became an integral part of the lives of any and all music enthusiasts around the world. 17 years on from the release of the iconic album, the world is mourning the loss of one of the finest vocalists of his time.
Chester Bennington may have been an incredible singer, but that wasn’t all he was ever interested in. The Phoenix native was a lifelong sports fan, actively interested in a wide range of sports from the very beginning. Music obviously took the majority of his time, however, with his big break arriving as a part of a new band alongside his close friend Mike Shinoda. That band would be known as Linkin Park and provided us with memories to last a life time.
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The band’s ‘Hybrid Theory’ album sold a whopping 4.8 million copies in 2001 with the song ‘In the End’ becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The inspiration for most of the album’s art work and lyrics came from real life situations and experiences of Chester’s eventful life. He spoke candidly of his drug and alcohol problems and the influence they had in his composition of a number of songs at the time.
While his music career flourished, Chester’s love for sports was there for all to see. Being from Arizona, sport was a staple for the Bennington family. The Arizona Cardinals were one of the first teams that Chester fell in love with, actively supporting the American football team in matches around the area. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Coyotes also drew huge support from the musician, proving just how much influence sports had in his life. Chester regularly included his love for sports in his music as well and was known to use sports references to get fans charged up for concerts he had with his band.
Basketball, in particular, was one of the most important components of his life. A lifelong Phoenix Suns fan, Chester was a regular supporter of the NBA as can be seen from his frantic tweets during the recently concluded NBA finals. Chester was known to give advice to the Suns team via his twitter and often engaged in discussions with fans over team selection for his favourite NBA side.
Apart from Basketball, football also played a major role in the life of the talented singer. Ipswich Town was the club that Chester’s father Lee Bennington had a serious connection with and introduced his son to the team that would become an important part of the Bennington household. Following several successful tours in the UK, Chester revealed his desire to perform at Portman Road, the home of Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys were among the first associations to publicly acknowledge and dedicate a tribute to the iconic singer’s death.
And finally, sticking with tributes, the LA Dodgers provided one of the greatest tributes ever as they dedicated a song to the life and times of Chester Bennington. The song ‘Numb’ was, of course, one of the best ever written and performed by the band and drew huge praise all over social media. Classy indeed from the Dodgers who acknowledged all the support from Chester throughout his life.
Apart from all of that, Chester also had an Indian connection as he is seen here pictured with Indian Formula One team Force India's Adrian Sutil, back when the German was part of the team from 2008 to 2013.
