Entertainment
Linkin Park reform with a new singer – three other bands that have successfully done the same
Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by Daily News Staff
Glenn Fosbraey, University of Winchester
Linkin Park 2024
Linkin Park have announced that they are reforming, seven years after disbanding due to the death of lead singer Chester Bennington.
Along with the announcement of a six-date international tour and the promised release of new music, it was also revealed that Emily Armstrong, formerly of the Los Angeles group Dead Sara, would be joining founding member Mike Shinoda on co-lead singer duties.
One of the most successful bands of the streaming age, and the only band to feature in Spotify’s top ten most-streamed albums of all time, Linkin’ Park’s legion of fans are divided on Armstrong’s appointment. Many are simply happy to see them return, but others have been critical of the decision to keep using the band name in the absence of Bennington.
Linkin Park are by no means the first band to enter a second phase after the loss of their lead singer. Here are three other notable examples.
1. Queen
How do you replace a singer who many believe is the greatest of all time? That’s the conundrum Queen faced when they decided to continue following the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991.
The surviving band members had a taste of performing with a different frontman during the following year’s Concert for Freddie Mercury, where George Michael’s performance of Somebody to Love stealing the show. After that, they had a go at trying to do it in-house, with Brian May and Roger Taylor sharing the vocals on the 1997 single No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young).
Then, after losing another quarter of the original lineup when bassist John Deacon called it a day, Paul Rodgers took on mic duties between 2004 and 2009.
Adam Lambert became the latest to fill Freddie Mercury’s Adidas high-tops in 2011 – a position he still holds today. Though the band has always performed as Queen + Paul Rodgers or Queen + Adam Lambert, never fully taking the plunge to officially “replace” Freddy.
2. New Order
Post-punk purveyors of gloom Joy Division may have ceased to exist following the death of frontman Ian Curtis – but it didn’t signal the end of the surviving band members’ creative output.
Rising phoenix-like from the ashes of their old group only a few months later as New Order, guitarist Bernard Sumner was recast as the lead singer. Gillian Gilbert turned the trio back to a quartet when she joined the ranks to play guitar and keyboards.
Gradually morphing from their post-punk roots to reinvent themselves as a dance and electronic act, with the release of Blue Monday in 1983, they made the move from indie darlings to bona fide superstars. Forty-four years on from their (re)birth and still going strong, New Order’s story is one of both survival and revival.
3. AC/DC
Following the death of original singer Bon Scott in February 1980, AC/DC acted swiftly to appoint new vocalist Brian Johnson in time to begin recording new material in April that year.
With 50 million units sold and the title of biggest selling rock album of all time, the resulting album Back in Black undoubtedly marks AC/DC’s commercial high point.
The five albums released with Scott at the microphone are often more celebrated by the critics but with 11 studio albums under his belt – and the last three reaching number one in many countries around the globe with multi-platinum sales – it’s hard to see Johnson’s tenure as anything but a massive success. Though the argument about which singer is better continues to rumble on with fans.
Moving on
In the case of the reformed Linkin Park, Shinoda has spoken about feeling empowered by the new lineup, seeing it as the beginning of a new chapter in the band’s history rather than “erasing its past” – an accusation some critics have levelled at him.
We’ll never know what Bennington himself would think, of course, but these words from an interview with Kerrang Radio shortly before his death might reassure Shinoda that he’s doing the right thing: “What matters is that you took the chance to do something that you felt was important to you and that’s what being an artist is all about.”
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Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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actors & performers
Harkins Theatres Announces Rob Reiner Tribute Screening on December 17
Rob Reiner Tribute: Harkins Theatres will host a special $5 screening of The American President on December 17 to honor filmmaker Rob Reiner, with all proceeds benefiting the Human Rights Campaign.
Last Updated on December 17, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Harkins Theatres Announces Rob Reiner Tribute Screening of The American President
Harkins Theatres has announced a special one-day tribute screening honoring acclaimed filmmaker Rob Reiner, celebrating his life’s work and cinematic legacy.
On December 17, select Harkins locations will screen Reiner’s 1995 political romance The American President, with all proceeds benefiting the Human Rights Campaign. Tickets are priced at $5, making the event both an accessible film experience and a charitable fundraiser.
The tribute was announced via Harkins’ official, verified social media accounts and is positioned as a legacy celebration, not a memorial.
🎥 Why The American President?
Released in 1995 and written by Aaron Sorkin, The American President stars Michael Douglas and Annette Bening and remains one of Rob Reiner’s most politically resonant films. The movie blends romance, idealism, and civic responsibility — themes that have consistently appeared throughout Reiner’s career.
The film later served as a creative blueprint for The West Wing, cementing its place in modern political storytelling.
📌 Event Details at a Glance
Event: Rob Reiner Tribute Screening
Film: The American President (1995)
Date: December 17
Price: $5
Where: Select Harkins Theatres
Beneficiary: Human Rights Campaign
Host: Harkins Theatres
🔗 Official Event Page:
https://www.harkins.com/movies/the-american-president-a-rob-reiner-tribute
🎞️ Rob Reiner’s Lasting Impact
Rob Reiner’s career spans more than five decades, including landmark films such as:
This Is Spinal Tap
Stand By Me
The Princess Bride
When Harry Met Sally…
Misery
A Few Good Men
His work is often praised for balancing entertainment, empathy, and social conscience, making tribute events like this especially meaningful to longtime audiences.
Hollywood vs. Reality: How LA’s Wilshire Subway Was Really Built
https://stmdailynews.com/wilshire-subway-tunneling-hollywood-vs-reality/
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actors & performers
Hollywood Legend Rob Reiner and Wife Found Dead; Son in Custody
Renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home in a reported homicide. Police have arrested their son in connection with the case, and tributes are pouring in.
Last Updated on December 16, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Director Rob Reiner participates in a discussion following a screening of the film LBJ at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas on Saturday October 22, 2016
On Saturday evening October 22, 2016, the LBJ Presidential Library held a sneak peek of Rob Reiner’s new filmÊLBJ, starring Woody Harrelson as the 36th president. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, chronicles the life and times of Lyndon Johnson who would inherit the presidency at one of the most fraught moments in American history.
Following the screening, director Rob Reiner, actor Woody Harrelson, and writer Joey Hartstone joined LBJ Library Director Mark Updegrove on stage for a conversation about the film.
LBJ Library photo by Jay Godwin
10/22/2016
Hollywood Legend Rob Reiner and Wife Found Dead; Son in Custody
December 15, 2025
Renowned filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on Sunday, authorities say. Emergency responders were called to the residence Sunday afternoon, where both were discovered with fatal wounds consistent with a stabbing. Police are treating the case as a double homicide.
Los Angeles police arrested the couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the deaths. He is being held in custody as investigators continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident.
2016 SAMHSA Voice Awards
Reiner was one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, known for his work as a director, producer and actor. His career spanned decades, from early television fame to directing beloved films that shaped American cinema.
Friends, colleagues and public figures have begun sharing tributes and reactions to the news as the investigation is ongoing.
More details will be updated as they become available.
The Inspiring Legacy of Raymond E. Fowler: A Journey into the UnknownLink: https://stmdailynews.com/the-inspiring-legacy-of-raymond-e-fowler-a-journey-into-the-unknown/
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Entertainment
Hollywood vs. Reality: How LA’s Wilshire Subway Was Really Built
Wilshire Subway: Did LA blast subway tunnels under Wilshire Boulevard? Hollywood says yes — engineers say no. Here’s how Metro safely tunneled beneath Miracle Mile.
When the 1997 disaster film Volcano depicted lava erupting along Wilshire Boulevard and referenced blasting during Red Line subway construction, it delivered gripping cinema — but not accurate engineering.
In reality, Los Angeles Metro did not rely on large-scale blasting to construct subway tunnels beneath Wilshire Boulevard and the Miracle Mile. Instead, engineers used tunnel boring machines (TBMs) specifically to avoid the very risks Hollywood dramatized.
Why Blasting Was Avoided
The Wilshire Corridor sits atop historic oil fields, making methane gas pockets a known and serious concern. A deadly methane explosion near Fairfax Avenue in 1985 led to heightened scrutiny of underground construction in the area. Blasting in such conditions could have caused unpredictable gas releases, ground instability, or damage to surface structures.
As a result, Metro engineers chose pressurized, closed-face tunnel boring machines, which allow for:
Controlled excavation in dense urban environments
Continuous ground support to prevent settlement
Integrated gas detection and ventilation systems
These machines grind slowly through soil and rock while installing precast concrete tunnel linings, creating a sealed, gas-resistant structure as they advance. 
The Real Engineering Feat
Although Volcano took creative liberties for dramatic effect, the true story of tunneling under Wilshire is no less impressive. Advances in TBM technology and methane mitigation ultimately allowed the Metro D Line (formerly the Red Line/Purple Line) to safely pass through one of Los Angeles’ most geologically complex corridors — without explosions, collapsing streets, or cinematic chaos.
Bottom Line
Volcano remains a memorable piece of 1990s disaster cinema, but its portrayal of subway construction is fiction. The real achievement lies in decades of careful planning, modern tunneling technology, and engineering solutions that quietly reshaped Los Angeles beneath its busiest boulevard.
Related Links:
- LA Metro – D Line (Purple Line) Extension Project
- Engineering News-Record: Tunneling Through Gas and Tar in LA
- Los Angeles Times Archive: Methane Risk and Subway Construction
Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story — A Closer Look at the Documentary and Its Uncredited VoiceLink: https://stmdailynews.com/dreambreaker-a-pickleball-story-a-closer-look-at-the-documentary-and-its-uncredited-voice/
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