Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda Posts Throwback Photo With Chester Bennington

Linkin Park band member Mike Shinoda is reminiscing on the times he spent with Chester Bennington before the singer’s tragic passing last week. On Tuesday, Shinoda took to Instagram to upload a throwback photo from the night that Bennington first joined the band.

“1997 or 1998…I think this was the first photo we took together. We had just told Chester that we wanted him to join the band. He said he was ready to move out from Arizona to L.A. We went to a pizza place near UCLA to hang out and talk about what to do next,” the 40-year-old musician captioned the photo.

“The band was called Xero at the time, and we probably had less than half a dozen songs. No flame tattoos yet, no red hair yet, most of us were still in college,” he wrote.

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The image shows the late “In The End” vocalist and his former bandmates more than 20 years ago standing with their arms around each other.

Shinoda’s throwback post came as the band Linkin Park issued a public tribute to their friend and frontman, who completed suicide last week.

“You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized,” an excerpt from the statement read. “In the past few days, we’ve seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world.”

“Talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled—a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing.”

More: Coroner’s Office Confirms Chester Bennington’s Official Cause of Death

Read the full Linkin Park tribute to Chester Bennington here.

If you or someone you know needs help and is contemplating suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).