While many of Chester Bennington's peers have offered their thoughts on the singer's passing via social media, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst is among those who've provided a lengthier tribute to Bennington. While speaking with Variety last Friday (July 21) before a show in Indiana, Durst reflected on his longtime friend, sharing treasured memories, his final meeting with the singer and his thoughts on the fact that he'll never have a chance to cross paths with Bennington again.

Durst recalls, "[I remember] when Linkin Park played before us on their first ever show in Europe. They came in our dressing rooms and they were clearly both so excited and so shy. [Limp Bizkit guitarist] Wes [Borland], myself and my brother went and watched their show and doused them in champagne after their performance to congratulate them. 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."

The singer then spoke more about the man he knew on a personal basis, adding, "I can say so many wonderful things about the Chester I knew. 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."

Durst continued, "He would go out of his way to make sure you knew he truly cares. As real and transparent as our conversations would be, he was always the one projecting light on the shadows."

The Limp Bizkit vocalist says his last conversation with Bennington came while the rocker was holding two of his puppies and was giving him a bit of a motivational talk thanking him for Limp Bizkit helping to pave the way for bands like Linkin Park to come. "In return, I told him if it weren’t for him and his voice and his words, this genre would never have reached the masses and affected so many lives," says Durst. "I thanked him for being so courageous and humble and for always being such a gentleman. We laughed and hugged and told jokes as if there would always be a tomorrow for us to meet again."

The rocker concludes, saying he wish that he could hug Bennington and let him know that he would always be there to listen and help in any way possible, but sadly, that moment will not come. Read Durst's full commentary at Variety.

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