Profile of Chester Bennington on Famous Like Me

Chester Charles Bennington a.k.a "Chester the Molester" and "Chazy Chaz" (born March 20, 1976) is the vocalist of the band Linkin Park.

He was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He is notable for producing loud and very high-pitched vocals. Most Linkin Park songs feature him screaming. His hair changes style and color frequently. When he was younger he practiced singing every day until his lungs and throat were sore to get the voice that he has now.

Chester had a rather unpleasant life right through adolescence. He was sexually abused as a child, not by his family, but from the people around him. A few of his friends commited suicide, "I also lost a friend in a tragic freak skateboarding accident. He was skateboarding down this little hill, hit a pebble and hit his head just right, and it was over. It can happen to you a million times when you're a kid, you fall down and hit your head-he just happened to hit the wrong spot." When Chester was 11, his parents went through a divorce. He has two half sisters and a half brother. Chester attended Centennial High School at the beginning of his freshmen year. But later he went to Greenway High. As a teenager, he was addicted to crystal meth and cocaine. However, Bennington is now free from his addiction and has been so for many years. His co-writer and fellow band member Mike Shinoda wrote a song, which until recently could not be performed live. The song, called "Breaking the Habit," brought back memories from the past which in many cases reduced Bennington to tears.

Bennington was formerly the lead vocalist in a band called Grey Daze in 1994, who were popular across Arizona and the United States, but didn't achieve global status. Grey Daze replaced Chester after he left, with a female singer and the band is now known as Waterface.

He graduated in the year of 1994 from Washington High. He met his wife, Samantha while he was working in Burger King. He married her on Halloween 1996 at the age of 20, and because he was too poor to afford an actual wedding or engagement ring, the two of them have rings tattooed on their ring fingers. (Done before Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee had theirs done) They have one child, a boy named Draven Sebastian Bennington, born April 19, 2002 at 1 PM as mentioned on linkinpark.com : "Chester and Samantha had their son on April 19th, 2002 at 1PM. He's happy, healthy, and cute as can be. The baby and parents are doing great. They thank you for being so interested and they love you guys! The whole family will be on the road during the next Linkin tour!". As of May 2, 2005 the couple are divorcing after eight years of marriage. Samantha has been granted full custodial rights of their child, while Chester is fighting for joint custody. Like bandmate Mike Shinoda, Chester is working on a solo album. It will be completed by by late 2005 and set for release in early 2006.

Bennington's Tattoos As of 4/05, Totaling 13:

1. Upper Left Arm - (Pisces)
2. Upper Back - (Six arms spread out)
3. Lower Back - (Linkin Park lettered in old English) This tattoo was the result of a bet Chester made with a friend of his. If Hybrid Theory went platinum, the tattoo would be free. If not, Chester would have to pay full price. The album went platinum, and Chester got a free tattoo.
4. Upper Right Arm - (Japanese Koi Fish)
5. Lower Left Calf - (Hybrid Theory Soldier)
6. Left Arm - (flames)
7. Right Arm - (flames)
8. Right Calf - (dragon)
9. Ring Finger on Left Hand - (engagement band)
10. Pinkie Finger on Right Hand - (birthstone in gold ring)
11. dragon on his back on the left
12. and on his right side.
13. Unidentified tattoo on his right elbow - looks like a skull on a rose?

"Tattoos exude pain and pleasure all at the same time." —Chester

In airports Bennington has to take off all his metal spike bracelets, etc., and he apparently has a little bag that he arranges them all in. They have to be in the same place every time and go back on him in the same order. It is rumored that he is obsessive compulsive because of this and other interesting little habits he appears to have suggest it further.

Bennington seems to have rather bad luck with getting sick on tour.

• On 8/8/01 during Ozzfest he was bitten by a recluse spider at a hotel in the Boston area. A portion of Bennington's arm swelled and he ran a fever, but he finished the whole tour. Most people require hospitalization after a recluse spider bite.

• Bennington continues to struggle with a hiatal hernia, an ailment that forced LP to cancel their show in Evansville, Indiana. (April 11, 2003)

• In 2003, LP was forced to cancel their European tour in June due to a viral infection Chester developed. He was sent to intensive care at LA's Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre when he lost feeling in his body and collapsed.

In 2006, Chester is set to release a solo album, produced by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck of Orgy. There are currently two confirmed tracks: 'The Morning After' and 'Walking In Circles'. 'Let Down' is also rumoured to appear on the album. Influences for the album include The Cure, Depeche Mode and Bauhaus, and Chester has described it as "fuckin' driving beats and walls of guitars." One of his friends also likened one track to T-Rex.

Independant sources of information: Chester Bennington: The Solo

Chester's Independent Songs

1. State of the Art - DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit
2. (Title unknown) - The Visionaries
3. Karma Killer - Cyclefly (from Crave, 2002)
4. System - Written by Jonathan Davis of Korn (from OST Queen of the Damned, 2002)
5. Morning After - Written by himself
6. Walking Dead - DJ Z-Trip (from Shifting Gears, 2005)
7. Rock and Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Part 2 - Handsome Boy Modeling School (from White People, 2004)
8. Let Down - Written by himself?

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