Sir Elton John, who dealt with suicide when his bass player Bob Birch died in 2012, said on Beats 1 radio regarding Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington’s deaths: “It has been a sad few weeks. We lost Chris and then we lost Chester. I met them both briefly and they were two lovely guys.
“You know, artists are prone to being a little destructive, whether you are an actor or singer or visual artist.
“Sometimes, as Jim Carrey said when Philip Seymour Hoffman committed suicide, ‘the noise just gets too much.'”
“It is so awful for someone to be so depressed that they commit suicide, especially when they have families. I just wanted to pay tribute to them, as there by the grace of God go all of us.”
“Just remember them fondly and the music they left. It is totally different music to the one I create but still wonderful music that has entertained millions, including me.”
After Cornell died two months ago, Bennington wrote a letter thanking him for inspiring him and hoping he would find peace in “the next life.”
Chester Bennington died by suicide on July 20, which would have been Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday.
