Chester Bennington Death — Palos Verdes Estates, California

Chester Bennington, the vocalist of Linkin Park, was found dead at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on July 20, 2017. He was 41 years old. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. The date was the birthday of his close friend Chris Cornell, who had died by the same method just two months earlier. Bennington had performed Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' at Cornell's funeral and had spoken publicly about his grief.

Chester Bennington's voice — a combination of melodic singing and ferocious screaming that could shift between the two mid-phrase — was the defining element of Linkin Park's sound. The band's debut album Hybrid Theory (2000) sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling debut albums of the 21st century. Songs like 'In the End,' 'Crawling,' 'Numb,' and 'One Step Closer' resonated deeply with a generation of listeners, and Bennington's lyrics about pain, isolation, and inner turmoil were drawn from his own experiences of childhood abuse and addiction.

Palos Verdes Estates is an affluent coastal community on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwestern Los Angeles County. Bennington's home is a private residence. Memorials and tributes were held at venues across the world following his death, and a public memorial concert — Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington — was held at the Hollywood Bowl on October 27, 2017.