Amy Lee from EVANESCENCE says she is not LINKIN PARK’s new vocalist but is open to doing it part time
During a recent chat with iHeart Radio, EVANESCENCE frontwoman Amy Lee addressed the buzz surrounding LINKIN PARK‘s potential new vocalist. The discussion also touched on fans who see her as a fitting replacement for the band’s late singer, Chester Bennington.
“That is an incredible compliment,” she said after being told that she was a fan favorite to take over the position (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “I have not heard that. No, I have not been contacted [by LINKIN PARK] or anything like that. But [I’m a] huge fan feel like our worlds, our fanbases are a lot of the same people.”
She continued: “That’s really sweet. We never… Well, did we play shows [together]? I don’t know if [EVANESCENCE and LINKIN PARK] were on a festival together or whatever. We met. We were in the studio at the same time. When we were making ‘Fallen’, I just briefly got to have a conversation or two with Chester. He was really sweet.
“But no, it’s not true,” she clarified in regard to the rumors that could be LINKIN PARK‘s new singer. “But that’s awesome. They should ask me about that. I don’t have a ton of free time, but I might do it part time.”
A spark ignited rumors about LINKIN PARK‘s future vocalist. During a radio interview, ORGY’s Jay Gordon mentioned he “caught wind” of them collaborating with a “female singer.” Pushed for details, Gordon added, “Don’t repeat that as fact. I’m unsure who the vocalist will be, but whispers suggest it’s a woman. Maybe that’s their path forward. It would be intriguing, to say the least.” However, Gordon later appeared to backtrack on his statements. In a Facebook post, he claimed to have “no knowledge” of any such plans and accused unnamed individuals of twisting his words “out of context.”
Back in 2004, Chester told Revolver magazine about meeting EVANESCENCE in the studio, where Amy Lee revealed her record label wanted them to sound more like LINKIN PARK! It seems the struggle for artistic identity transcends genres.
“I met [EVANESCENCE] in the studio when they were recording their record. We were both recording in the same building. I was talking to [Amy]. And she was nice. She said, ‘We’re having these problems. Everyone at our label wants us to be you.’ I told her that’s lame. She agreed. She said they went as far as wanting to ask [LINKIN PARK‘s] Mike [Shinoda] to do a part on a song.
He continued:”She said, ‘We knew he wouldn’t do it.’ So they’re running around trying to get guys in other bands to do it like he would. ‘ I told her to be herself and tell the label to put it where the sun doesn’t shine. But the next thing I heard was ‘Bring Me To Life’ with a guy that sounded just like Mike. It was a little upsetting.”
LINKIN PARK just unleashed their greatest hits collection, “Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023),” featuring a treasure trove of fan favorites. But the real gem for devotees is the previously unreleased track, “Friendly Fire,” featuring the late Chester Bennington‘s vocals. Recorded during the sessions for their final album, “One More Light” (2017), it offers a poignant chance to hear Bennington one more time. Interestingly, this pressure to conform isn’t new.
LINKIN PARK Park frontman Chester Bennington‘s tragic death by suicide in July 2017 left a deep void in the music world. The 41-year-old vocalist had battled mental health struggles for years. His passing sent shockwaves through the industry and his fans, many of whom found solace and connection in his music.