Fred Durst Honors Friend Chester Bennington: 'His Spirit Was Contagious & Empowering'

Fred Durst is the latest artist paying tribute to Chester Bennington following his tragic death. The Limp Bizkit frontman praised his late friend and Linkin Park member in a touching interview with Variety. Durst recalled the moment when Linkin Park opened for Limp Bizkit during LP's first concert in Europe: 

"I remember seeing them on the side of the stage and as were performing, I was thinking to myself, 'Chester’s voice is going to blow these kids the f— up.' It was a great moment and I’m happy now to have had it...He had a way of making anyone he spoke to feel heard, understood and significant. His aura and spirit were contagious and empowering. Often those types of people have so much pain and torture inside that the last thing they want is to contaminate or break the spirit of others."

He also commended Bennington for changing the nu metal game entirely, saying that if it weren't for his vocals the genre wouldn't have become as mainstream as it is today. "I want to hug him now and let him know that we all experience our own pain and deal with it our own ways," Durst added. "I know his torture is unique to him, but I would always be here to listen and help in any way I can. But I won’t get that hug and that moment now, which makes me so sad."