Chester Bennington, lead singer of alt-rock band Linkin Park, has reportedly committed suicide.
The story was first reported by TMZ early Thursday and has been investigated as a possible suicide after Bennington was discovered in his L.A. home. Reports say he hung himself.
The 41-year-old singer had been battling addiction throughout his career, but seemed in good spirits during recent promotionsfor the band's upcoming "One More Light World Tour," which was supposed to arrive in Tampa in August 19.
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This story has a particularly saddening twist, as we mourn this tragic loss in the music community on what would have been Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday. Cornell, who also passed away due to suicide earlier this year, was a close friend and idol of Chester Bennington. Chester even penned an open letter after news broke of his death.
Bennington leaves behind six children, a wife, and millions of adorning fans who fell in love with his unique voice and kind-hearted demeanor. The band hit the mainstream with albums like Hybrid Theory, Meteora, and Minutes to Midnight in the 2000s. His voice was characterized by soft spoken, heart wrenching intros that would expand into the screaming sprees that would send goosebumps down your spine.
Chester Bennington played St. Petersburg's Vinoy Park for the 97x Next Big Thing in 2013 with the Stone Temple Pilots, while Linkin Park last played Tampa in 2014 at Steinbrenner Field with 30 Second to Mars. The band was set to perform at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in August, but that show is now obviously in doubt.
This article appears in Jul 20-27, 2017.