In a recent interview, Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins gave moving statements about suicide and mental health.
Asked about the experience of losing two acquaintances in a short period of time (referring to Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington ), both emphasized the seriousness of depression and spoke about their own feelings, even though they weren't very close to either of the singers.
“I can’t speak for other people’s situation, but the hardest part is when you lose a friend,” Grohl said. “And I always immediately think of their families, their bandmates, because going through something like suicide is a long journey.”
“Chris was such a beautiful guy,” Dave continued. “He was the sweetest person, he was so talented, he had so much to offer, it was a real shock to hear that he was gone. But, you know, I think mental health and depression are things that people really need to take seriously. There’s a stigma attached to them that’s unfortunate, because in the same way that people take care of themselves in all other ways, I think it’s important that people really try to take care of themselves in that way too. And it’s not easy, you know? Life is hard.”
Taylor added to Grohl's response, reinforcing: "This just shows that it doesn't matter what's in your bank account or how many views you have on your YouTube page. All of that flies out the window when you're not feeling well. Not being able to hear Chris Cornell making another album… That's selfish, there's a much greater pain than my own selfish pain."
“I barely knew Chris, but from what little I knew, he was a really cool guy,” Hawkins continued. “I didn’t know Chester either, but Dave and I knew Chris a little bit and we just loved his records. Some of the first things Dave and I played together right after I joined the band were Soundgarden […] Like Dave said, take care of yourselves and if you feel someone isn’t doing well, check on that person.”
READ ALSO: Taylor Hawkins considers Chris Cornell her "rock god": "I miss him so much"
