The world was shaken when news of the tragic demise of Linkin Park's Chester Bennington hit the media. Fans all over the world came to express their condolences and sympathies to the band and the Bennington family, via social media.
Chester Bennington was 41, and it was found that he hanged himself dead in his home in Los Angeles. Police are treating his death as a suicide.
Suicide draws mixed responses
The responses, as expected, were mixed. In general, many people expressed their condolences. Band members and fellow musicians offered their support.
There are those who decided to criticize Bennington's and Linkin Park's work, with some of them standing on the principle that suicide is "cowardly." One of these is guitarist Brian Welch (aka "Head") of Korn, who said he was "pissed" that the Linkin Park frontman took "the cowardly way out."
The Cornell family show their sympathy and support
These expressions were in the minority, however, and more people expressed sympathy in such a tough time. One of these, unsurprisingly, was the Cornell family.
The Cornells suffered a similar loss when Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell committed suicide back in May. Both vocalists are close friends, and it may be remembered that Chester Bennington himself sang Leonard Cohen's classic "Hallelujah" during Chris Cornell's memorial.
The Cornells even released a statement saying that they consider Bennington as a member of their family.
"The Cornell family is overwhelmed by the heartbreaking news about Chester Bennington which tragically comes so soon after their family's loss," a spokesperson for the Cornells said. They add that they share in the sorrow of those who love the late Linkin Park frontman.
It is interesting to note that Bennington's death is the same date as the birthday of Chris Cornell. Because of this, many speculated that there could be more parallels between Bennington's and Cornell's deaths.
Chester Bennington started with Linkin Park when he responded to a call for vocalists by the band, which was then called "Xero." Bennington wrote lines, recorded himself as he sang over the Xero mixtape, and sent it back to the band — eventually landing the gig.
Since then, the rap-rock landscape had never been the same. Linkin Park's influence grew to such heights that their debut album, "Hybrid Theory," managed to sell more than 10 million copies. Their follow-up, "Meteora," sold up to 6 million copies.
