September 20th 2024.
Chester Bennington's mother, Susan Eubanks, recently wrote a heartfelt letter expressing her feelings of betrayal towards Linkin Park's decision to bring in a new lead singer, seven years after her son's tragic death. The band, made up of Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn, Brad Delson, and Dave 'Phoenix' Farrell, has announced that Dead Sara singer Emily Armstrong will be joining them for their upcoming tour, marking the first time they will reunite since Chester's passing in 2017. Eubanks shared that she was not informed about this decision beforehand and feels hurt and upset about it.
In the letter published by Rolling Stone, Eubanks revealed that she had been promised by the band that they would inform her if they ever decided to do something like this. She stated, "They didn't let me know, and they probably knew that I wasn't going to be very happy. I'm very upset about it." She also expressed her disappointment in the band for seemingly trying to erase Chester's legacy and their past by bringing in a new singer to perform his songs. She called it "hurtful" to hear someone else singing his songs.
Eubanks also shared that the family, including Chester's wife and children, were not made aware of the reunion before it was announced. She felt blindsided by the band's decision and expressed her sorrow over the fact that she will never be able to see her son perform with the band again. She also revealed that when she last saw Mike Shinoda around two years ago, he had promised to keep the family informed about any plans the band had. He did make good on this promise by informing them about the release of archival tracks featuring Chester for their 'Papercuts' collection.
The news of Emily Armstrong joining the band as the lead singer has caused quite a stir among fans. While many have embraced her, there has also been controversy surrounding her past links with Scientology and her previous support of convicted rapist and actor Danny Masterson. Eubanks shared her thoughts on Armstrong's vocals, calling it "screeching." She said, "I got out of there as fast as I could. I cried."
Eubanks also revealed that Mike Shinoda had once told Chester that he believed their songs would sound better with a female vocalist. She said that Chester was "dumbfounded and hurt" by this comment. She now feels that the band has gone ahead with this idea, despite Chester's disapproval. She also mentioned that Shinoda used to put Chester down, especially when he was considering leaving the band. Eubanks made it clear that she believes no one can replace Chester vocally, and while she would have been okay with Shinoda taking over as the frontman, she is against Armstrong replacing her son.
Despite the initial positive response from fans regarding Armstrong's appointment, there has been a growing backlash following the news. Eubanks ended her emotional message by directly addressing Linkin Park and telling them that she feels betrayed. She also warned them against releasing old songs with Armstrong's vocals and suggested that they write new music instead.
In the midst of all this, Chester's son, Jaime, has also spoken out about the band's reunion tour. While his criticism was not as severe as his grandmother's, he did mention that fans may need time to come to terms with the band reforming with a new lead singer. He also revealed that the band did not ask for his opinion on the reunion.
The band's original drummer, Rob Bourdon, has already left ahead of what is being called "Linkin Park 2.0," and guitarist Brad Delson recently announced that he will no longer perform live with the band. In a statement about their new era, Mike Shinoda wrote, "We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we've made together. We're weaving together the sonic touchpoints we've been known for and still exploring new ones." The band's reunion has sparked a debate about who has the right to determine the direction of any artist's legacy. While Chester's family feels that they have some ownership over Linkin Park, the surviving band members believe that it is still theirs to do with as they please, even if it means upsetting their late bandmate's family. This has left fans torn between remembering the band as it was and accepting the changes as the band moves forward.
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