Mike Shinoda shares first picture of band when they were not Linkin Park but Xero

Los Angeles: Linkin Park star Mike Shinoda has shared the first group shot ever taken of the band, also featuring frontman Chester Bennington.

"1997 or 1998...I think this was the first photo we ever took together. We had just told Chester that we wanted him to join the band. He said he was ready to move out from Arizona to LA. We went to a pizza place near UCLA to hang out and talk about what to do next.

"The band was called Xero at the time, and we probably had less than a half a dozen songs. No flame tattoos yet, no red hair yet, most of us were still in college," wrote Shinoda on Instagram.

Bennington died on Thursday at age 41 after hanging himself at a private residence in Palo Verdes Estates.

Shinoda confirmed the news hours later, writing on Twitter, "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true."