Ongoing History Daily: Chester Bennington’s broken arm

April 10, 2023 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

Chester Bennington was incredibly devoted to his band. Here’s a prime example.

Early on in a show in Melbourne, Australia on October 14, 2007, Chester fell during a performance of the song “Papercut.” He landed with a straight arm and an open hand. He hit the ground so hard that he managed to break his arm. It was obvious to the rest of Linkin Park that Chester was in a lot of pain.

They said “That’s it. We’re calling off the gig.” But then Chester said, “Well, it’s going to be just as broken in 90 minutes from now, so we might as well play.” So they did.

In fact, the band went on to play all the shows on a tour that swung through Australia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea—all with Chester’s broken arm. Hey, the show must go on.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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