Just a week before his death, Chester Bennington looked to be in good spirits. His wife shared a photo of him with his kids on vacation with a big smile on his face. And now we see that he was featured on Carpool Karaoke with his bandmates and actor Ken Jeong.
The episode was filmed just six days prior to Bennington’s suicide. James Corden and the rest of the Carpool Karaoke staff got permission from Linkin Park and Bennington’s family to air the episode. I’m thankful that the band members and his family signed off on it, because it once again shows just how much depression sucks.
In the video, Bennington looks like the happiest guy in the world, joking with Jeong and jamming out to OutKast, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and multiple Linkin Park songs. Of the three members of Linkin Park in the car, Bennington seems the most comfortable. He and Jeong have a good chemistry going as Jeong tries to insert himself into the band and Bennington obliging, going as far as making him the leader.
At one point in the video, Chester actually forgets the words to a Linkin Park song because he’s having so much fun and admits that he loves D&D. The group eventually makes their way onto a party bus, but not before doing some ridiculous dance on the sidewalk and officially becoming Linken Park.
At the end, Bennington even comments to Jeong that he spent half the ride driving without his hands because they were rocking out. And who amongst us hasn’t been there?
This video should have been released to honor Chester, it should have stayed in the archives because Mike Shinoda and Joe Hahn seem like boring people who don’t know how to have fun. I can see why the group was so torn up over the loss of Chester. He was not only their friend, but he was the fun one in the group.