Suicide Letter! #ChesterBennington leading singer of Linkin Park commits suicide!
Harriet Alexander
The Telegraph
Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington wrote an open letter to Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, two months before he committed suicide in a similar way.
Bennington was found dead in Los Angeles on Thursday morning, having taken his own life at the age of 41.
The American singer was a close friend of Cornell, who himself committed suicide by hanging in May.
Bennington wrote an open letter to Cornell on the day of the Soundgarden frontman’s suicide.
“I can’t imagine a world without you in it,” he wrote.
“I pray you find peace in the next life.”
With all of my love @chriscornell. pic.twitter.com/NFz0dnxfp8
— Chester Bennington (@ChesterBe) May 18, 2017
He later performed Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah at the funeral service.
Thursday would have been Cornell’s 53rd birthday.
Cornell’s wife, Vicky, tweeted out a message following the news of Bennington’s death, saying: “Just when I thought my heart couldn’t break any more … I love you T.”
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
Bennington was twice married, with six children.
The singer struggled with drugs and alcohol for years. He had said in the past he had considered committing suicide because he had been abused as a child by an older male.
The band, formed in 1996, has had a string of hits over the years, including Faint, In the End and Numb.
On Saturday he was photographed beaming with the band in the studio, retweeting a comment: “Can’t wait to see where this goes.”
Can't wait to see where this goes ?? pic.twitter.com/FsnUUglPE1
— W▵TSKY (@gwatsky) July 15, 2017
On August 4 they were due to give a free concert in New York’s Central Park.