Chester Bennington of the rock group Linkin Park has passed away at the age of 41.
TMZ is reporting that the death has been ruled a suicide by hanging.
Bennington’s body was found at his home Thursday morning around 9 am.
At the height of the group’s fame, Linkin Park was one of the most popular acts in music.
The band’s 2000 debut album Hybrid Theory achieved diamond sales status on the strength of such wildly popular singles as “Crawling,” “One Step Closer,” and “In the End.”
Bennington and his bandmates went on to even greater success with their 2003 sophomore effort, Meteora, which remains the most popular album in the history of Billboard‘s alternative chart.
Along with co-frontman Mike Shinoda, Bennington was one of the two voices of Linkin Park.
The band sold an astonishing 70 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy awards.
While details of Bennington’s final hours remain scarce, sources close to the singer note that he has struggled with addiction and depression over the years.
Bennington himself stated that he had considered taking his own life as a result of sexual abuse he suffered as a child.
Bennington was close friends with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, who committed suicide following a performance in Detroit back in May.
Bennington performed at Cornell’s funeral service at the request of the singer’s widow.
As a solo artist, Bennington’s unique vocal stylings made him a sought after collaborator.
Over the course of his 20-year career, Bennington recorded with such artists as Cornell, Jay-Z, Santana, Motley Crue, DJ Z-Trip and Handsome Boy Modeling School.
The singer was known for his ability to cross genres, moving seamlessly between hard rock, hip hop, and electronic music.
Tributes to Bennington from friends and fans began pouring in on social media within minutes of the news of his death going public.
Many encourage those who might be struggling with thoughts of self-harm to contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
We would like to add our voice to that chorus and urge anyone who may be considering suicide to call that number immediately.
Chester Bennington is survived by his wife and six children.
