Linkin Park Frontman Chester Bennington Tragically Commits Suicide

Chester Bennington, Linkin Park singer and musical legend, has tragically taken his own life as confirmed by LA County police.

Chester, the Phoenix-born metal icon was found hanged at his home in LA, leaving behind 6 children and a wife.

“Shortly after 9 a.m. this morning, we were notified by law enforcement of a death in Palos Verdes Estates,” Brian Elias, chief of operations for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner, told Rolling Stone. “We responded to the scene and unfortunately confirmed that Mr. Chester Bennington was deceased at the scene.”

Linkin Park have sold over 70 million albums worldwide, winning two Grammy Awards and collaborating with other music giants such as Jay-Z. Mike Shinoda, co-frontman and pianist in the band, was one of the first to break the news on social media platform Twitter.

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

Chester and Linkin Park shot to fame in 2000 when they released their debut album, Hybrid Theory – an album which achieved diamond certification after selling 10 million copies.

The album was released at the very peak of the nu-metal wave, and Hybrid Theory was featured so heavily on MTV that it ended up dominating the Billboard chart. The success continued as their second album Meteora also hit Number One, before they partnered in arguably the most iconic rap / metal collaboration with Jay-Z.

Although Chester had shown signs of battling with depression, nobody could have anticipated that this could be his next move. His death follows only 2 months after his close friend Chris Cornell took his own life.

Bennington even performed a heartbreaking tribute at Cornells funeral, singing Leonard Cohen’s 1984 classic Hallelujah:

.@ChesterBe & Brad performed 'Hallelujah' at Chris Cornell's funeral. Heartbreaking performance 💔 #RIPChrisCornellhttps://t.co/vY8rUKSW4n pic.twitter.com/p3WnNWcBHp

— Linkin Park Live (@LPLive) May 26, 2017

Chester’s death serves as a stark reminder that mental health is still a huge issue in our society today, and it’s important to know that there is always support if you ever need it. Use the links and numbers below if ever you’re feeling desperate – don’t suffer in silence.

MIND: 0300 123 3393
Samaritans: 116 123
CALM: Outside London – 0808 802 5858 | Inside London – 0800 58 58 58
Mental Health Foundation