LINKIN PARK'S CHESTER BENNINGTON COMMITS SUICIDE

By Michael Connelly

Linkin Park’s front man Chester Bennington has reportedly committed suicide according to TMZ. Bennington at age 41 has allegedly hung himself in his Palos Verdes Estates residence in L.A. Bennington’s body was found earlier this morning at 9AM.
 
Bennington had struggled with drugs and alcohol for years due to his difficult past.
In an interview with Metal Hammer the singer said he was using hard drugs, explaining: "I was on 11 hits of acid a day. I dropped so much acid I'm surprised I can still speak! I'd smoke a bunch of crack, do a bit of meth and just sit there and freak out. Then I'd smoke opium to come down. I weighed 110 pounds. My mom said I looked like I stepped out of Auschwitz. So I used pot to get off drugs."

The lead singer had been a close and personal friend of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell. Bennington had performed “Hallelujah” at his funeral. Today would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday which many are speculating as a motive for the act. After Cornell’s passing Bennington wrote, “Thoughts of you flooded my mind and I wept. I'm still weeping, with sadness, as well as gratitude for having shared some very special moments with you and your beautiful family. You have inspired me in many ways you could never have known. Your talent was pure and unrivaled. Your voice was joy and pain, anger and forgiveness, love and heartache all wrapped up into one. I suppose that's what we all are. You helped me understand that."
 
Bennington in an interview with Metal Hammer...

"In 2006… I did some counseling with the guys and they really opened up and told me how they felt. I had no idea that I had been such a nightmare. I knew that I had a drinking problem, a drug problem and that parts of my personal life were crazy but I didn't realize how much that was affecting the people around me until I got a good dose of 'Here's-what-you're-really-like.' It was a shock. They said that I was two people — Chester and then that fucking guy. I didn't want to be that guy."

Linkin Park  released their seventh album titled One More Light last may. Linkin Park was also set to play in support of their new album with Blink -182. The rock world has been shaken by Bennington’s passing. Bennington is survived by his Wife Talinda and six kids.