Dead at 41
Chester Bennington passed away on July 20, 2017. The rock star's body was found in a private Los Angeles residence, his cause of death being investigated as a suicide by hanging.
Linkin Park's Debut
In the late '90s, Bennington left his hometown of Phoenix, Ariz. to audition for a vocalist spot in the Los Angeles-based band, then known as Xero. The alternative rock group released their breakout album, Hybrid Theory, in 2000. It sold more than 4.8 million copies in its debut year and is consistently considered one of the best rock albums of all time.
Commercial Success
Over the next few years, Linkin Park went on to earn Grammy recognition for songs like "Crawling," "Numb" and "In the End" as well as cross-genre collaborations with artists including Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes.
His First Love
Bennington and Samantha Marie Olit were married for nearly ten years between 1996 and 2005, and welcomed one child together named Draven Sebastian Bennington in 2002. The late musician is also survived by two adult sons, Jaime and Isaiah, from a previous relationship.
International Acclaim
Following the success of Hybrid Theory, Linkin Park went on to release six more studio albums, their most recent being 2017's One More Light. With Chester as the lead vocalist, the band has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide.
A Family Man
Bennington gave marriage a second chance when he wed Playboy model Talinda Ann Bentley. The pair welcomed three children together, 6-year-old twins Lily and Lila and 11-year-old Tyler Lee. The entire family attended the 2009 Kids' Choice Awards together.
Side Projects
In 2013, Bennington replaced Scott Weiland as the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots. He called joining the heavy metal band a "lifelong dream," but amicably parted ways with the group to focus solely on Linkin Park two years later. He also helped form Dead By Sunrise, which as of 2012 was still on hiatus from making new music.
Personal Demons
Throughout his years in the spotlight, the recording artist spoke openly about his decades-long battle with substance abuse. In a 2011 interview, Bennington revealed he had quit using, noting, "I just don't want to be that person anymore."
A Force to Be Reckoned With
Linkin Park's seventh and final album, One More Light, was released in May 2017. The project was two years in the making, and was described by its members as a departure from their usual sound.
A Somber Farewell
His passing came on what would have been the late Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday. The fellow rockers were close friends over the years, and Chester—who is one of his children's godfathers—sang Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at Chris' private funeral in May 2017.
One Final Encore
Linkin Park was one week out from embarking on their world tour when Bennington committed suicide. Pictured here in June 2017, Bennington gave one of his final performances at the Aerodrome festival in Prague.