Updated on: August 11, 2025
Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Susan Elaine Johnson |
| Approximate year of birth | c. 1954 (genealogical records; approximate) |
| Occupation | Nurse |
| Parents | Charles Henry Johnson; Anita Faye Wells |
| Notable child | Chester Charles Bennington (born March 20, 1976 — died July 20, 2017) |
| Partner / spouse (reported) | Lee Russell Bennington |
| Other family | Stepson: Brian Bennington; two older half-sisters (names not widely public) |
| Public profile | Private individual — most public mentions are in relation to her son, Chester Bennington |
Family & Roots — backstage passes and family portraits
I like to think of family history as an old tour bus parked behind the arena — the stories pile up between the seats, the names are written on ticket stubs. Susan Elaine Johnson sits on that bus as both a passenger and a steady hand on the wheel: born roughly in the mid-1950s, daughter of Charles Henry Johnson and Anita Faye Wells, she emerges in records quietly — a nurse by trade, a mother by craft.
Her son, Chester Charles Bennington, is the flashbulb: born March 20, 1976, in Phoenix, Arizona, he rose to international fame as the lead singer of Linkin Park and died July 20, 2017, at age 41. In every headline about a public figure there’s a shadow cast by relatives — Susan is that shadow for Chester: not the story’s spotlight, but the structural beam that held up the stage. Genealogical entries place Susan’s birth around 1954, though that date should be accepted as a rough cue rather than a nailed-down fact — public family trees can be beautiful scaffolds and imperfect scaffolds at once.
In practical terms, Susan’s immediate family circle includes Lee Russell Bennington, reported as Chester’s father and Susan’s partner; Brian Bennington, an older half-brother who worked as a police officer; and two older half-sisters who largely stayed out of the public eye. The family map reads like a band roster: a few main players everyone knows, a constellation of others who keep the rhythm steady and the lights running.
Motherhood & public life — the quiet work behind the songs
Tell a rock-star origin story and you’ll hear guitars and late nights; tell the human story and you hear something softer — early alarms, scraped knees, a fridge with leftovers that became a lifeline between tours. Susan’s public mentions are almost always tethered to Chester’s narrative: profiles that chart his rise will note his mother’s occupation, the small domestic facts that help explain the man on stage.
Occupation: nurse. That single line suggests long shifts, emotional labor, a practical mind, steady hands. Those traits fit a domestic biography of someone who raised a child who would later vocalize pain and resilience for millions. There’s something cinematic in that contrast: the hospital’s fluorescent light versus stadium lighting; the rhythm of patient charts versus the cadence of lyrics — both arenas of care, both arenas of intensity.
Susan is not presented in tabloids or interviews as a public figure who sought media attention; instead, she is the kind of relative who appears in the margins of profiles and family trees — the connective tissue that makes the bigger picture human. For readers who like family ties mapped in neat grids: Chester was born in 1976; Susan’s own reported birth year places her in her early twenties at that time — young parenthood nested inside the late 20th century’s churn.
Career & privacy — a professional life offstage
As far as public detail goes, Susan’s career is described simply: nurse. There are no elaborate public biographies, no LinkedIn pages to parade; she is, by record and presence, a private professional. No public estimates of net worth exist, and there’s no evidence that she sought public attention independent of her family connections.
That privacy is itself notable. In an era when every family member of a celebrity can become a brand, Susan’s quiet professional identity reads as an intentional or incidental shield — a life lived in healthcare corridors rather than on red carpets. To me, that contrast reads cinematic: you have a mother who understands human fragility by training and a son who transformed personal vulnerability into art by example.
Family table — names and relationships
| Name | Relationship to Susan Elaine Johnson | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Henry Johnson | Father | Identified in family records |
| Anita Faye Wells | Mother | Identified in family records |
| Chester Charles Bennington | Son | Born March 20, 1976 — Died July 20, 2017 |
| Lee Russell Bennington | Partner / father of Chester | Reported as Chester’s father; described as a police detective in some accounts |
| Brian Bennington | Stepson / Chester’s half-brother | Older half-brother; worked as a police officer |
| Two half-sisters | Chester’s older half-sisters; Susan’s stepchildren | Names not widely publicized; they largely remained out of public view |
Public mentions & legacy — how a private life becomes part of a public story
When a musician’s voice anchors a generation, relatives are often sketched in quick strokes. Susan’s public presence is exactly that: sketch lines in profiles, entries in genealogies, passing mentions in stories about Chester’s upbringing. There are no headline-making interviews or viral social posts attributed to her, and the public record reflects limited, family-centered references rather than a separate media footprint.
That said, legacy isn’t measured only by the number of headlines. In the narrative economy of celebrity, parents often become shorthand for origin — for the emotional vocabulary a performer draws from. Susan’s role as nurse and mother gives readers and listeners a sense of where that vocabulary might have been nurtured: a household with ordinary work, ordinary care, and complex human moments that later echoed in music millions heard.
Numbers & dates at a glance
- Susan’s approximate birth year: c. 1954 (approximate; genealogical estimate).
- Chester Bennington: born March 20, 1976 — died July 20, 2017 (aged 41).
- Known immediate family members listed: 6 (parents, partner, son, stepson, two half-sisters).
- Public profile: private — no available net worth, no extensive media presence.
FAQ
Who is Susan Elaine Johnson?
Susan Elaine Johnson is known publicly as the mother of Chester Charles Bennington and professionally as a nurse; she appears in genealogical and biographical references tied to her family.
Was she Chester Bennington’s mother?
Yes — Susan is identified as the mother of Chester Charles Bennington (born March 20, 1976).
When was she born?
Genealogical entries suggest she was born around 1954, but that year is approximate and should be treated cautiously.
What was her profession?
She worked as a nurse — a career that appears in public mentions tied to family biographies.
Is there public information about her net worth?
No — there are no credible public estimates of Susan’s net worth; she is a private individual with minimal public financial disclosure.
Are there media interviews or social profiles for her?
No widely known interviews or public social media profiles focused on Susan exist; her public mentions are mainly in the context of her son’s life and career.
Who are other family members mentioned in public records?
Records list parents Charles Henry Johnson and Anita Faye Wells, partner/father Lee Russell Bennington, stepson Brian Bennington, and two older half-sisters whose names are not widely public.
Can more precise birth data or records be found easily?
Some genealogical entries provide an approximate birth year, but precise, verifiable public records are not broadly available; additional digging into public records would be required for confirmation.
