Chester Bennington Dead: Linkin Park Singer Commits Suicide by Hanging

Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington has died at the age 41 after apparently hanged himself, LA County Coroner says.

His body was found at a private home in the county at 09:00 local time on July 20.

Chester Bennington was said to be close to Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, who took his own life in May.

Chris Cornell would have celebrated his 53rd birthday on July 20. He hanged himself after a concert in Detroit on May 17.

Chris Cornell Dies After Performing with Soundgarden in Detroit

Formed in 1996, Linkin Park have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.

The band had a string of hits including Faint, In The End and Crawling, and collaborated with Jay-Z.

Their album Meteora topped the Billboard 200 chart in 2003 and is regarded as one of the biggest indie rock records of all time.

Linkin Park had been due to begin a tour next week.

Chester Bennington leaves a wife, and six children from two marriages.

He is said to have struggled for years with alcohol and drug abuse, and has talked in the past about contemplating suicide as a result of being a victim of abuse as a child.