Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda posts first group pic with Chester Bennington

Chester Bennington (extreme right) with the other members of Linkin Park

In a recent Instagram post, Mike Shinoda, the rapper and chief songwriter of Linkin Park, paid tribute to the rock group’s late lead vocalist Chester Bennington by sharing with fans the first photo of them together, along with other bandmates.

It was taken in 1997 or 1998, back when Linkin Park was still called Xero, and had yet to release an album.

“We had just told Chester that we wanted him to join the band. He said he was ready to move out from Arizona to LA. We went to a pizza place near UCLA to hang out and talk about what to do next … We probably had less than half a dozen songs. No flame tattoos yet, no red hair yet; most of us were still in college,” Mike wrote.

Earlier, in an official statement, Linkin Park said that Chester’s “absence leaves a void that can never be filled.” “We’re trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal. After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place,” it read.—ALLAN POLICARPIO