Chester Bennington
Bennington in 2012, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Chester Charles Bennington
Date of Birth: March 20, 1976
Place of Birth: Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Date of Death: July 20, 2017
Place of Death: Palos Verdes Estates, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: English, smaller amounts of German, Welsh, and Scottish, distant Dutch
Chester Bennington was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He was part of several rock bands, as the frontman for Linkin Park, the lead singer for Dead by Sunrise, and, from 2013 to 2015, the frontman for Stone Temple Pilots. Other members of Linkin Park are Rob Bourdon, Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, Joe Hahn, and Mike Shinoda. Other members of Stone Temple Pilots include/included Dean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo, Eric Kretz, and Scott Weiland. Ryan Shuck was also a member of Dead by Sunrise.
Chester was the son of Susan Elaine (Johnson) and Lee Russell Bennington. He was married to model Talinda Ann Bentley, until his death. He two children with his former partner Elka Brand; a son with his former wife Samantha Marie Olit; and three children with Talinda.
Chester’s paternal grandfather was Chester Carl/Karl Bennington (the son of Russell Taylor Bennington and Anna Della Saunders). Chester’s grandfather Chester was born in Ohio. Russell was the son of John Bennington and Mary Jane Miller. Anna was the daughter of Joseph W. Saunders and Mary Stivers.
Chester’s paternal grandmother was Marjorie Marie/Marvin John (the daughter of Herbert Henry John and Bertha Florene Webb). Marjorie was born in Ohio. Herbert was the son of The Rev. Robert Neuman/Newman John and Frances Adelia Snow. Bertha was the daughter of Andrew Jackson Webb and Barbara Jane Nye.
Chester’s maternal grandfather is Charles Henry Johnson (the son of George Russell Johnson and Gertrude Elizabeth Elmendorf/Elmendorff). Charles was born in California. George was the son of George H. Johnson and Minnie B. Brown. Gertrude was the daughter of Charles L. Elmendorf and Alinda F./T. Schall, whose parents were German, her father from Kassel, Hesse and her mother from Baden-Württemberg.
Chester’s maternal grandmother is Anita Faye Wells (the daughter of Reginald Lester Wells and Myrtle Bell Sebourn/Seabourn). Reginald was the son of Benjamin Lafayette Wells and Annie/Anna Elvira Prater. Myrtle was the daughter of William Preston “Bill” Sebourn and Mary Ann “Doll” Pense.
Sources: Genealogies of Chester Bennington – http://assets.luginbuel.com
https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
Chester’s maternal grandfather, Charles Henry Johnson, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Birth record of Chester’s maternal great-grandfather, George Russell Johnson – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Chester’s maternal great-grandfather, George Russell Johnson, to Mildred Adelaide Lewin – https://familysearch.org
Chester’s maternal great-grandmother, Gertrude Elizabeth Elmendorf/Elmendorff, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
This is a sad day for music. May he rest in peace :'(
Ears
Very strange, he’s rather fair skinned with light brown hair, and yet his eyes are extremely dark (sometimes you think if his pupils are just dilated and he has light eyes?). never seen that combination before.
he can pass as a slavic though.
Really…you were at a Linkin Park gig and you focused on Chester’s eyes?? That is insane.
Wiat what? You’ve never seen a white person with brown hair and dark eyes? Just leave.
The older he gets, the more he looks like Kermit.
I am 100% sure that his father is Lee Russell Bennington (born December 9, 1941): https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KRSB-Y5Q
However due to his year of birth, I cannot trace him in the US Census (until 2022/3) nor Arizona genealogy website (until 2017/8) for this time.
Thanks for the tip. I found all his ancestry here.
http://assets.luginbuel.com/genealogy/documents//Pense%20Family.pdf
And since his father was born in Ohio, you can also use this.
http://birth-records.mooseroots.com/