Front man singer of rock band Linkin Park has committed suicide at age 41, according to TMZ. Reports say the hugely popular singer was found early Thursday morning at a private residence. It was no secret that he had suffered from substance abuse problems as well as depression for a long time. Only in May Bennington’s friend Chris Cornell, the lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave also took his life in a similar manner after suffering from depression. Today would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday.
Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda confirmed the tragic news of Bennington’s passing on his Twitter account.
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
Since first appearing on the scene in the early 2000s, Linkin Park has gone on to sell over 70 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards with Bennington in the front. Bennington, like Shinoda, also experimented with solo efforts, and even performed as the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots for a while. In the end though, it will always be Linkin Park for which he is remembered.
Although often branded as one of the major headliners of the “Nu Metal” movement of rock, Linkin Park hated the label and continued to experiment with their sound. This saw the group swing from heavy rock to more electronic to something in the middle and even doing a hip-hop remix album with Jay-Z. The group had most recently taken an excessive amount of flack from longtime fans as their last few albums saw them move into very laid back pop territory.
However, irrespective of Linkin Park’s most recent criticisms, the band – and especially Bennington with his combination of both melodic singing and signature screaming vocals – has left an indelible mark on the music scene. Bennington is survived by his wife, Talinda Ann Bentley, and six children, three of which are from previous relationships.
Last Updated: July 20, 2017
Kromas Ryder
July 20, 2017 at 20:48
I just heard about it on the news. Sad day.
N@te
July 20, 2017 at 20:55
Right in the feels
Umar
July 20, 2017 at 21:16
No…. 🙁
Hargrim
July 20, 2017 at 21:57
This one hurts! One Step Closer, Breaking the Habit, Castle of Glass, Heavy (I don’t care if people don’t like it) are just some of the songs that helped me through different times of my life.
Who cares if one more light goes out? I DO
Admiral Chief
July 20, 2017 at 22:05
WTAF I just watched about 10 videos with my wife where he sang. WTAF WTAF WTAF no man. WTAF
Admiral Chief
July 20, 2017 at 22:05
Fuck man. Why. Just fucking why.
Admiral Chief
July 20, 2017 at 22:06
Going through some things myself atm but just WTAF man.
Admiral Chief
July 20, 2017 at 22:06
Fuck
Allykhat
July 21, 2017 at 08:03
I fully agree dude…
Grimsupanoob
July 21, 2017 at 07:53
the band will probably try to go on, but I guess in the end, it doesn’t ever matter…
Peter Pan
July 21, 2017 at 07:55
RIP Chester!!! I don’t know if Linkin Park will ever be able to replace him and still release music that is as well-received! Let’s hope they can, and I can’t wait for them to release a dedication song to him. A real pity about his passing, especially as a result of suicide.
Allykhat
July 21, 2017 at 08:04
Was online when the first announcement hit and the net exploded…
Whatsapp groups, facebook, twitter, even my PSN party were talking about it, trying to see if it was real. It was 🙁
Very sad day…
Admiral Chief
July 21, 2017 at 09:10
I read about it just after watching GMM episode with them in, and binge watched a lot of their videos, so the shock was real for me. The GMM episode, it felt like I was there with them, so yeah, the news hit me hard
Original Heretic
July 21, 2017 at 08:05
Man this is harsh. So sad when someone so talented decides to off themselves.
Craig "CrAiGiSh" Dodd
July 21, 2017 at 08:18
Hitting everyone hard 🙁
Admiral Chief
July 21, 2017 at 09:09
Yeah man, heavy shit.
Just re-watched the new vid they launched this year, Heavy, and the signs were all there man.
Magoo
July 21, 2017 at 09:21
RIP my man.
konfab
July 21, 2017 at 09:36
In the end, it didn’t even matter.
Ghost In The Rift
July 21, 2017 at 10:30
Damn, so sad, all the best to the family, wish i could’ve helped him trough his problems as he and the band did for me trough high school and everyday life. RIP Chester
Skyblue
July 21, 2017 at 13:34
Chris Cornell broke me and now this. The attached vid’s are the two of them doing what they did best and sharing the stage as friends.
Depression is a real disease and should be taken seriously. If you know anyone going through this shit make sure they get the help they need.
https://youtu.be/F_v1SLIt01Q
https://youtu.be/OfgvqXbNs94
Chuckles von Clausewitz III
July 21, 2017 at 14:37
I wasn’t a fan of Linkin Park (in fact I’ve always mocked my friends and enemies who enjoyed their music), however this is legitimately sad news. RIP Chester 🙁