Watch Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington Sing “Hunger Strike” Together
The late, longtime friends duetted on the Temple of the Dog song in 2008.
Music Features Chris Cornell
With the tragic news of Chester Bennington’s death comes the haunting realization that Thursday would also have been Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. The two singers were longtime friends, and Cornell’s suicide on May 18 obviously hit Bennington hard. A day after Cornell’s death, Bennington and his band Linkin Park dedicated a Jimmy Kimmel Live performance of their new song, “One More Light,” to Cornell. Days later, Bennington sang Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at Cornell’s funeral.
“You have inspired me in many ways you could never have known,” Bennington wrote in an open letter to Cornell afterward. “Your talent was pure and unrivaled. Your voice was joy and pain, anger and forgiveness, love and heartache all wrapped up into one. I suppose that’s what we all are. You helped me understand that.”
On Thursday, Bennington’s body was discovered in a private residence in Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, the coroner’s office there was notified about his death at about 9 a.m., and the office is conducting a death investigation. He was 41 years old.
In times like these, it’s often some solace to turn to the music. With that in mind, here’s a video of two friends performing Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike” together during a tour in 2008.