Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington was found dead of apparent suicide on Thursday a week before the California alt-rock band was due to embark on a US tour.
Bennington, 41, known for his powerful, belting vocals, died at his Palos Verdes home, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office said.
Spokesman Brian Elias said the death was being handled as an apparent suicide, and celebrity Web site TMZ, citing law enforcement sources, said Bennington had hung himself while alone at the house when his family was out of town.
Photo: AP
“Shocked and heartbroken, but it’s true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one,” Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda said on Twitter.
Bennington had a history of alcohol and drug abuse. He had spoken openly about his struggles to overcome his demons when Linkin Park first found fame in 2000 with their best-selling debut album Hybrid Theory and went on to become one of the most popular alt-rock bands of their generation.
The band’s latest album, One More Light, was released in May, and Linkin Park had been touring South America and Europe until two weeks ago.
Bennington’s death came a week before the band was due to start the US leg of the tour on Thursday in Mansfield, Massachusetts. It also came the same day as the release of the band’s music video Talking to Myself.
“This BREAKS OUR HEART. Suicide is the devil on earth walking amongst us,” US band One Republic said on Twitter.
All-American Rejects front man Tyson Ritter said on Twitter that Bennington was “another gifted voice silenced to the spirit in the sky-forever alive in song.”
Bennington, who was twice married and had six children, was a close friend of Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell, who committed suicide in Detroit in May.
Bennington had apparently taken his own life on what would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday, fans said.
“Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break any more,” Cornell’s wife Vicky said on Twitter.
Linkin Park’s debut album Hybrid Theory included hits such as In the End, One Step Closer and Crawling, which won a Grammy award in 2002 for Best Hard Rock Performance.
The band experimented with rock, metal and rap, most notably collaborating with Jay-Z in 2004 on the Collision Course album. The album, a mash-up of the rapper’s hits with Linkin Park songs, included Numb/Encore, which won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.
The band has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.
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