Editing Chester Bennington (section)

==Early life==
Chester Charles Bennington was born in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], on March 20, 1976,<ref>{{cite news |last=Shaw |first=Phil |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/chester-bennington-linkin-park-lead-singer-fans-death-suicide-childhood-chris-cornell-nu-metal-a7858551.html |title=Chester Bennington: Lead singer of Linkin Park remembered |work=[[The Independent]] |date=July 25, 2017 |access-date=November 8, 2019 |archive-date=July 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731193149/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/chester-bennington-linkin-park-lead-singer-fans-death-suicide-childhood-chris-cornell-nu-metal-a7858551.html |url-status=live }}</ref> to a mother who worked as a nurse and a father who investigated [[child sexual abuse]]<ref name="rolling stone 2002" /> cases as a police detective. He had two sisters and an older brother.<ref name="kerrang-2008">{{cite magazine|last=Bryant|first=Tom|url=http://www.tom-bryant.com/linkin-park-kerrang--tom-bryant.html|title=Linkin Park, Kerrang!|date=January 23, 2008|magazine=[[Kerrang!]]|access-date=November 28, 2012|archive-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709235810/http://www.tom-bryant.com/linkin-park-kerrang--tom-bryant.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Bennington took an interest in music at a young age, citing the bands [[Depeche Mode]] and [[Stone Temple Pilots]] as his earliest inspirations.<ref name="mtv1" /> He dreamed of becoming a member of Stone Temple Pilots, and would later become their lead singer for a time.<ref name="elporvenir1">{{cite news|url=http://www.elporvenir.com.mx/notas.asp?nota_id=479854|title=Celebrará Chester Bennington cumpleaños 35 con nuevo sencillo|date=March 19, 2011|language=es|newspaper=El Porvenir|access-date=November 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002094332/http://www.elporvenir.com.mx/notas.asp?nota_id=479854|archive-date=October 2, 2013 |trans-title=Chester Bennington to celebrate 35th birthday with new single}}</ref> At age seven, an older male friend sexually abused him.<ref name="kerrang-2011interview2">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.nme.com/news/linkin-park/58022|title=Linkin Park's Chester Bennington: 'I was a raging alcoholic'|date=July 14, 2011|access-date=November 28, 2012|magazine=NME|last=Goodwyn|first=Tom|archive-date=October 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002202124/http://www.nme.com/news/linkin-park/58022|url-status=live}}</ref> Bennington was afraid to ask for help, not wanting people to think he was gay or a liar, and the abuse continued until age 13.<ref name="kerrang-2008"/> Years later, he revealed the abuser's name to his father but chose not to [[Criminal charge|press charges]].<ref name="guardian-2011" />

Bennington's parents divorced when he was 11 years old.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=August 4, 2017|title=Chester Bennington's Last Days: Linkin Park Singer's Mix of Hope, Heaviness|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chester-benningtons-last-days-linkin-park-singers-mix-of-hope-heaviness-124862/|url-status=live|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729070421/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chester-benningtons-last-days-linkin-park-singers-mix-of-hope-heaviness-124862/|archive-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref> The abuse and his situation at home affected him so much that he felt the urge to "kill everybody and run away". To comfort himself, Bennington drew pictures and wrote poetry and songs.<ref name="kerrang-2008" /> After the divorce, his father gained custody of him.<ref name="kerrang-2008" /> Bennington started using alcohol, [[marijuana]], [[opium]], [[cocaine]], [[methamphetamine|meth]], and [[LSD]].<ref name="kerrang-2008" /><ref name="mtv1">{{cite news |last=Apar |first=Corey |url=https://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bennington_chester/artist.jhtml |title=Chester Bennington |agency=MTV |date=2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209101729/https://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bennington_chester/artist.jhtml |archive-date=February 9, 2010 |access-date=November 18, 2021 }}</ref><ref name="guardian-2011">{{cite news|last=Simpson|first=Dave|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/07/linkin-park-moscow-interview|title=Linkin Park: 'We're famous, but we're not celebrities'|date=July 7, 2011|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=November 28, 2012|archive-date=November 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119061209/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jul/07/linkin-park-moscow-interview|url-status=live}}</ref> He was bullied in high school, stating in an interview that he was "knocked around like a rag doll at school, for being skinny and looking different".<ref name="nmeobituary2">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/chester-bennington-obituary-1976-2017-2113700|title=Chester Bennington Obituary: 1976–2017|last1=Beaumont|first1=Mark|date=July 21, 2017|magazine=[[NME]]|access-date=July 21, 2017|author-link1=Mark Beaumont (journalist)|archive-date=April 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410142515/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/chester-bennington-obituary-1976-2017-2113700|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1993, at the age of 17, Bennington moved in with his mother. He was banned from leaving the house for a time when she discovered his drug use.<ref name="kerrang-2008" /> He worked at a local [[Burger King]] before starting his career as a professional musician.<ref name="mtv1" />