Chester Bennington, the ferocious lead singer Linkin Park fame, was found dead of an apparent suicide on Thursday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.
The Phoenix-born singer and songwriter was found dead at home in Palos Verdes Estates, just outside Los Angeles. He was pronounced dead at the scene, the coroner's office said. The body was discovered before 9 a.m. and The Los Angeles Fire Department said Bennington appeared to have hanged himself.
Linkin Park bandmate Mike Shinoda acknowledged Bennington's death on Twitter and said the band would release an official statement later.
"Shocked and heartbroken, but it's true," he wrote.
According to a 2014 interview with Metal Hammer, Bennington grew up in Phoenix and had a tough childhood. He suffered sexual abuse as a child and struggled at times with drug and alcohol substance abuse, something he didn't shy away from talking about in interviews.
Neil Portnow, the president and CEO of the Recording Academy (which puts the Grammys), called Bennington a cutting-edge vocalist and a "bona fide hard rock hero."
The frontman's suicide coincides with Chris Cornell's birthday, a close friend of Bennington's and lead singer of Soundgarden, who killed himself in May. Bennington sang "Hallelujah" at Cornell's funeral.