TMZ has just reported that Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has committed suicide. According to the report it was by hanging.
Bennington was only 41 years old. According to TMZ, his body was discovered earlier today.
Law enforcement sources tell us the singer hanged himself at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in L.A. County. His body was discovered Thursday just before 9 AM.
Chester was married with 6 children from 2 wives.
Captain Mark Velez of Palos Verdes Estates police told Daily Breeze that Bennington was found in his home by a housekeeper. He was alone at the time of his death. Shortly after, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda confirmed the news.
Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one.
— Mike Shinoda (@mikeshinoda) July 20, 2017
BREAKING: Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington dies at 41, Los Angeles County coroner says.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 20, 2017
To see this happen so quickly after the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, which was also via hanging makes this all the tougher to swallow. Today, July 20th, would've been Cornell's birthday. He and Bennington were very close and Bennington even gave a eulogy at his funeral.
The news spread quickly and tributes have been pouring in from the rock and hip hop world. We have compiled tributes here.
We have also posted an editorial on the proper way to respond to suicide and where you can seek help.
Meanwhile, Linkin Park have chosen to pay tribute to Bennington with photos rather than words.
Chester struggled with alcohol and drug abuse issues for a long time, telling The Guardian in 2001 it was a result of being abused as a child. "When I was young, getting beaten up and pretty much raped was no fun, No one wants that to happen to you and honestly, I don't remember when it started." At the time of the interview, he recalled finding a photo of himself as a child from that time period and it bringing back all the memories of the abuse. "I remember that stuff happening to me at that stage and even thinking about it now makes me want to cry," he said. "My God, no wonder I became a drug addict. No wonder I just went completely insane for a little while." His final interviews showed that it is something he was struggling with until his final dates.
Say what you will, but Linkin Park changed the game and created one of the biggest selling albums of all time, Hybrid Theory. The band's new album, One More Light, was released earlier this year to much controversy. When the band posted their first single, a ballad titled "Heavy," there was some blowback from longtime fans and at the time it seemed like Bennington was not taking the criticism well. It all seems so trivial at this point.
Watch footage we've gathered of Chester's final performance with Linkin Park here.
