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Jared Leto paid emotional tribute to Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington at the 2017 VMAs. The musicians, who died in May and July of 2016, respectively, were also close friends and mutually admired each other’s work. Leto and his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, toured with both Cornell and the Linkin Park frontman. “They were close friends with each other,” Leto told the crowd. “Chester said of Chris, ‘Your voice was joy and pain and anger and forgiveness, love and heartache all wrapped up into one.’ Just weeks later, Chester himself was gone.” The Oscar winner added a touching statement on how Bennington inspired him. “Chester was my friend — as he was to so many — and witnessing his life taught me important things, especially about working relentlessly, pursuing dreams and being kind and caring while doing it,” Leto said. “When I think about him, Chester, I see his face, which was always smiling. I think about his heart, which he wore on his sleeve. I think about how kindly he treated me, my brother, our band. I think about his wife and his six incredible children. I think about his family, I think about his band, they were really his brothers, and I remember his voice. At once ferocious and delicate, that voice will live forever.”
