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Halestorm and Killswitch Engage vocalists Lzzy Hale and Jesse Leach posted messages on their social media profiles speaking out against cyberbullying following the death of Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington.
Bennington was found dead at his residence on the 20th, having committed suicide by hanging. The vocalist battled depression, alcohol and other substance addictions, and had previously revealed that he was abused as a child.
Linkin Park released their latest album, One More Light, in May and was one of the headliners at the Maximus Festival in São Paulo this year. The band had recently received several criticisms for the change in their sound, which was moving closer to pop.
Read the texts by Lzzy Hale and Jesse Leach:
Lzzy Hale: “Rest in peace, Chester. We lost the voice of a generation today. I want to remind everyone who follows me that you are never alone. Life is hard and we all have inner monsters that we battle every day. And as human beings, do your part. Stop the cyberbullying, and stop hating people for stupid reasons. What if instead you left a positive message of hope and love for Rock? Just one kind word can change someone's life. I've seen a lot of that in my work. You are powerful enough to help someone or hurt someone. So choose to spread positivity. Chester, you will be missed and I'm so sorry you felt you needed to go this way. But all the people you healed through your music thank you for your time here, and your music will live on through us.”
Jesse Leach: “I am appalled by the lack of empathy and respect for a human being (who happens to be a musician) who died tragically. The fact that someone would have the audacity to criticize or comment on his music on the day we learned of his death is incomprehensible to me. We understand, you're super cool and you don't like music that isn't cool. But what insensitivity, what a disgusting and selfish way to speak. Take your opinion and shove it up your ass. A fellow musician committed suicide today and all I can think about is his family and friends. Mental illness is very common in the music world. You should be speaking about this tragedy with respect, compassion, grief, and nothing more. Keep your opinions to yourself and let his friends and family grieve. Just because he had a public life doesn't give you the right to judge his life or his music at this moment. Show some class, please. My condolences to Chester Bennington's family. I hope he finds peace in the next life or world he's in.”