Chester Bennington Dead at 41: How Did the Linkin Park Frontman Die?
The music industry lost another icon with the passing of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. The 41-year-old vocalist committed suicide by hanging at his private residence in Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles County.
Bennington's is survived by his wife Talinda Ann Bentley and his six children. His family was out of town at the time and his body was discovered by an employee shortly before 9 a.m. PDT.
Reports of Bennington's suicide began spreading on social media. The Hollywood Reporter's Ryan Parker tweeted that there have been reports that the Linkin Park frontman committed suicide but was still unconfirmed by the coroner and the fire department.
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Fellow Linkin Park vocalist and band founder Mike Shinoda took to Twitter and posted a preliminary update saying he was "shocked and heartbroken" but said that the reports of Bennington's death were true. Shinoda added that an official statement will come out as soon as the band has it.
Bennington's death led to an outpouring of support and tributes. People from the music industry and regular fans alike expressed their sadness at the loss of one of the most iconic voices in rock.
Bennington considered taking his life in the past and struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. In an interview with Kerrang, he opened up about being molested when he was just 7 years old.
He joined Linkin Park in 1999 after he was recommended by his friend Jeff Blue. The band later went on the be one of the most successful acts of the 2000s with the release of "Hybrid Theory" (2000) and "Meteora" (2003), both of which were diamond-certified.
Bennington was characterized by his "higher-pitched" and "emotional" vocals. As of 2017, the band has received two Grammy Awards and has sold over 70 million albums.
