In a new interview with the Goldmine Magazine Podcast, former Pantera bassist Rex Brown was asked for his opinion on the passing of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, just two months after the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. “I wanna say I’ve met Chester a few times,” Rex said. “We weren’t close at all. You know, I’m still trying to get over Chris.
“These guys just taking [themselves] out when they have it all, I just don’t understand it,” he continued. “But then again, I understand mental illness very well. Not that I have it — I don’t. I think we all, in some sort of way, do, but I’ve never thought of fucking taking myself out. I’m just not like that. My life is beautiful. But then again, you get to a point… I can see it, man. Everybody’s been down. If you ain’t been down, you can’t sing the blues.”
Rex added: “It’s horrible. I feel bad for his family and all his bandmates and everything else.”
Bennington was found dead in his home in Palos Verdes, California by one of his employees on July 20th. A Los Angeles County coroner confirmed that the cause of death was suicide by hanging. Cornell was found dead in a Detroit hotel room on May 18th, in what was also ruled as a suicide by hanging.
