We need to appreciate artists before their death (a tribute to Chester Bennington)

This week was a sad one for angsty millennials everywhere. (Well, honestly most weeks are sad for angsty millennials these days, but I digress.) This week, Chester Bennington killed himself. With the death of this musician, most famous for being the lead vocalist of Linkin Park and also being a member of Dead by Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots, the toll of musicians gone before their time rises. Bennington joins the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell and more. Not all of these musicians chose to end their lives, but some did. Arguably, many musicians gone before their time were more appreciated, admired and loved after they died than they ever were before. Their popularity, their fan base and their influence grew.

Why is it that sometimes people have to die before their art is adequately appreciated? Why is it that sometimes people have to die before their lives and struggles are noted at all? After each of these musicians’ lives ended, people dug deep and speculated all kinds of reasons for their leaving this Earth. Why is it that we wait until it’s over to investigate the problem?

Truthfully, I don’t think we mean to do this. I think we all have our own problems. So, rather than devote our time to looking into other people’s problems, we focus on our own until one day, something huge and terrible happens. This huge and terrible thing captivates our attention and can become a symbol. They become a symbol for all of us — a symbol that we are not all as OK as we seem and that everyone has their own demons and struggles. And through these demons and struggles, they still managed to create art and inspire us all.

Here’s the thing: These artists are not symbols. They were — are — people. And while I’d argue that listening to their music is an excellent way to honor their memories, spending countless hours speculating about the circumstances of their deaths is not. Blaming their spouses and other family members for their deaths is not. We should honor their lives, not obsess over their deaths.

Let’s take Bennington, for example. Most articles about him documented his involvement in Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots but generally stopped there. The rest of the articles usually dove into the fact that he experienced problems maintaining sobriety and that his body was found in his home in a Los Angeles suburb. Very few articles talked about the fact that he has been dubbed “the voice of a generation.” Very few talked about how open he was about mental health, particularly his own struggle with mental health. Very few talked about how many kids his voice affected — how many kids found a safe place in his music while they fought their own battles.

Not talking about these things is, in my opinion, an insult to his memory. How can we tell people life is beautiful and should be cherished when we spend so much time focusing on death? Life is beautiful, and death should be seen as an opportunity to focus on the good people did leading up to it, not the negative circumstances surrounding his or her death. We shouldn’t wait until someone passes to appreciate him or her. Bennington is more than the headline, “Found dead at 41.” Cobain is more than the headline, “Dead at 27.” They are people. Their lives inspired and continue to inspire, and, in focusing on their deaths, we are missing out on what we can honor about their lives. Let’s respect those who are no longer with us and all those who were affected by their lives.

If you or anyone you know is struggling and considering taking his or her own life, please do not be afraid to get help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Taylor Cavaliere is a UF journalism and psychology junior. Her column appears on Tuesdays.