Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, 41, dead in apparent suicide

 

LOS ANGELES: Chester Bennington – frontman of the legendary rock band Linkin Park – was found dead on Thursday at his southern California home in an apparent suicide, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said.

Bennington allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his Palos Verdes residence in L.A. County. His body was discovered on Thursday morning, law enforcement sources told celebrity news and entertainment portal TMZ.

Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda tweeted, "Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true. An official statement will come out as soon as we have one."

The 41-year-old singer reportedly struggled with drugs and alcohol for years. He had also said that he had considered committing suicide as he was abused by an older male as a child, TMZ added.

Bennington leaves behind six children from two wives.

In the past, Bennington had spoken openly about his personal battle to overcome his demons when Linkin Park first found success in 2000 with the album Hybrid Theory. However, in 2011, he said he had been sober for six years.

'In the end'

Bennington was also very close to Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell, who committed suicide in Detroit in May, earlier this year.

Fans noted on Thursday that Bennington had apparently taken his own life on what would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday. The singer had posted an emotional note on his social media accounts after Cornell's death.

"I'm still weeping, with sadness, as well as gratitude for having shared some very special moments with you and your family," he wrote.

Hybrid Theory – LP's debut album – included hits such as "In the End," "One Step Closer," and "Crawling," which won a Grammy award in 2002 for best hard rock performance.

Linkin Park's album Meteroa was one of the biggest alternative albums in music history.

The band experimented with rock, metal, and rap, most notably teaming up with Jay-Z in 2004 on the Collision Course album, which was a mash-up of the latter's hits with Linkin Park's songs. It included "Numb/Encore," which won a Grammy award in 2006 for best rap/sung collaboration.

Their latest studio album One More Light was released in May, and Linkin Park embarked on a world tour. Bennington's death came a week before the band was due to kick off the US leg of its tour on July 27 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

To date, Linkin Park has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.