flavors, he discovered his palate at an early
age. Rollin began cooking and surprising his
mom with dinners when she would get home
from work.
I met Chef Gray Rollin in an unexpected
place—backstage at the Loudwire Music
Festival last summer. A white tent in the
middle of a dirt and grass field in which
someone is cooking up a storm is grounds
for major curiosity. Had it been a casual
grilling situation, I wouldn’t have really
noticed besides the fact that anytime there’s
food around, it requires my immediate
attention. In the heat of the blistering summer
day, Rollin offered us a friendly greeting and
a cool drink. As a conversation ensued, he
answered my question before the words
could be spilled out of my mouth. “I’m Linkin
Park’s personal chef,” he said.
His makeshift tent turned “restaurant on
wheels,” as he describes it impressed
me, but what really caught my eye was
the culinary magic that he was creating in
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such an impromptu environment. Though
seemingly improvised, every bit of the
composition of his portable cookery was not
only intentional, it was borderline genius.
With makeshift stoves, refrigeration units,
and areas for prep, the chef was prepared
to make the day’s carefully crafted menu
with fresh ingredients for each member of
the band. Rollin travels with the band as
they tour around the world, ensuring that
the band is always healthy and happy. He
uses fresh ingredients from each country
they visit, creating a culinary experience
that matches the culture in which they are
immersed while making sure that each band
member’s dietary requirements and palates
are satisfied. Rollin has been touring with
Linkin Park for six and a half years, traveling
to sixty countries all over the world.
There’s never a dull moment when cooking
and touring the world with a rock band like
Linkin Park. Each day they are on tour,
Rollin goes grocery shopping with a helper,
a translator, and sometimes a p W'6