Fred Durst Writes Emotional Letter About Chester Bennington

Limp Bizkit lead singer Fred Durst has shared his heartfelt thoughts on his longtime friend Chester Bennington in a letter published by Variety on Thursday, July 25, 2017. Durst's letter was written the day after Bennington's death, and it reveals the singer's raw, emotional reaction to the loss of his friend, as well as offers a glimpse into the kind of man the late Linkin Park singer truly was.

Durst began the letter with a fond memory of a show the two bands played together.    

"I'm sitting here with my brother Cory and we were talking about when Linkin Park played before us on their first ever show in Europe. They came in our dressing rooms and they were clearly both so excited and so shy. [Limp Bizkit guitarist] Wes [Borland], myself and my brother went and watched their show and doused them in champagne after their performance to congratulate them," the "Rollin'" singer writes, continuing, "I remember seeing them on the side of the stage and as were performing, I was thinking to myself, 'Chester's voice is going to blow these kids the f— up.' It was a great moment and I'm happy now to have had it." 

Durst then moved on to share what a selfless and generous spirit he knew Bennington to be. 

"I can say so many wonderful things about the Chester I knew. He had a way of making anyone he spoke to feel heard, understood and significant. His aura and spirit were contagious and empowering. Often those types of people have so much pain and torture inside that the last thing they want is to contaminate or break the spirit of others," the "Faith" singer reflects, adding, "He would go out of his way to make sure you knew he truly cares. As real and transparent as our conversations would be, he was always the one projecting light on the shadows." 

Durst also recalled the last time he spoke with Bennington.

"In my last conversation with him, he was holding his two cute puppies and giving me the most selfless and motivational compliments in regards to Limp Bizkit and myself and thanking me for paving the path for bands like Linkin Park. In return, I told him if it weren't for him and his voice and his words, this genre would never have reached the masses and affected so many lives. I thanked him for being so courageous and humble and for always being such a gentleman. We laughed and hugged and told jokes as if there would always be a tomorrow for us to meet again." 

Finally, Durst shared the emotional pain of losing his friend. 

"I want to hug him now and let him know that we all experience our own pain and deal with it our own ways. I know his torture is unique to him, but I would always be here to listen and help in any way I can," he said. "But I won't get that hug and that moment now, which makes me so sad."

As Nicki Swift previously reported, Bennington's bandmates have also issued a statement regarding their friend and colleague, who they described as "boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, and generous." 

Chester Bennington died on Thursday, July 20, 2017. His official cause of death was suicide by hanging. He was 41 years old.