In a time of great sadness, Mike Shinoda remains a beacon of light. The musician is honoring his late Linkin Park bandmate, Chester Bennington, in a truly monumental way.
Shinoda, 40, took to Instagram on Friday, July 28, to announce a list of public memorials organized by fans all over the globe in order to pay tribute to Bennington, who took his own life on Thursday, July 20, only days before the band was set to resume their One More Light tour.
“One week. Feels like forever,” he wrote in the post, before giving details of the memorial efforts. Throughout July and August, fans of the fallen singer will gather in various locations to honor his memory, including Los Angeles, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South and Central America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
Shinoda provided the link to a Google Doc page with more information on the commemorations of Bennington’s life. He also shared Linkin Park’s suicide prevention website and a link to a fundraiser called Music for Relief, which the band organized to honor the former lead singer.
“Brad, Joe, Rob, Dave, and I love you all very much,” the “Numb” singer continued in the caption. “Thank you for respecting our privacy during this extremely difficult time ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
Earlier on Friday, Bennington’s wife, Talinda Bennington, issued an emotional statement opening up about her immense loss.
“One week ago, I lost my soulmate and my children lost their hero — their daddy. We had a fairy-tale life and now it has turned into some sick Shakespearean tragedy,” she wrote in a statement to Us Weekly. “How do I move on? How do I pick up my shattered soul? The only answer I know is to raise our babies with every once of love I have left.”
Tallinda, who wed the rocker in 2005, also expressed her gratitude to Bennington’s fans for their support. “I want to let my community and the fans worldwide know that we feel your love. We feel your loss as well,” she said.
