A giant mural depicting late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has been revealed on the side of a local pizzeria near a freeway in Los Angeles, California.
The 20-foot-tall image was completed by artist Jonas Never, who spent two days to complete the touching tribute to the “In The End” singer.
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The painting shows the Grammy winner shirtless with his tattoos on display while smiling and staring off into the distance. Around Bennington’s head is a halo-like light.
The mural can be seen on the back wall of the new Rock ‘n Pies Pizza. The building backs up to the 101 freeway in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles.
“I’d been seeing that big blank wall from the 101 and thought it would be good for something,” the artist said while speaking with Variety.
While Bennington was often pictured on stage during Linkin Park concerts, the artist wanted to shed light on the artist in a different way. See photos of the Bennington mural here.
“I stumbled across this publicity still of him, smiling, very recognizable, with all his tattoos visible,” Never said. “I thought it would be better than having him up there screaming.”
More: Metallica Drummer Lars Ulrich Calls Chester Bennington a ‘Kind and Gentle Soul’
The “Numb” hitmaker took his own life on July 20 at his Palos Verdes, California home. Since his death, a number of touching tributes have been shared on the Internet. Most recently, Bennington’s ex-wife, Samantha Bennington, shared a heartfelt message about her former spouse on Facebook on Sunday.
Bennington and Samantha were married from 1996 to 2005 and share a 15-year-old son together named Draven.
“Our souls & energy are forever connected. Chester, as one of my best friends of the age of 19, a husband, father to my son, business partner, and all we created together, I’m truly honored to have completed our soul contracts together, build all we did together, & thank you for giving me the greatest gift ever, our beautiful son Draven,” an excerpt from Samantha’s note reads.
Read Samantha’s full tribute to Chester here.
In addition to his family members, many of the late singer’s fellow musicians have spoken out about his death.
The latest artist to express their sadness over Bennington’s loss was Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, who spoke out during an interview with Los Angeles radio station 95.5 KLOS.
“Chester was a very kind and very unassuming and very gentle soul, who had a really big heart. The first time I heard Linkin Park, just singing those songs on this first album — when was it? ’99 or 2000? — the power that came out of him was just unbelievable. It was so original and so unique.
“He was one of those singers that has that rare gift where every word that comes out of him sounds authentic. He’s not just writing something down that he sings… Everything that comes out of him sounds like he feels and he means every word, every nuance, every syllable,” Ulrich said.
