Celebrities have been paying tribute to Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park, who was found dead by apparent suicide on Thursday (20 July) at his Palos Verdes Estate in Los Angeles.

The 41-year-old father-of-six reportedly "hanged himself," law enforcement officials said.

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The vocalist was close friends with Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, who committed suicide in May. Bennington wrote an open letter to Cornell on the day of his suicide.

It read: "You have inspired me in ways you could never have known... I can't imagine a world without you in it."

Cornell, who was found dead at the MGM Grand hotel in Detroit, would have been 53 on the day Bennington died.

Celebrities took to Twitter to express their condolences for Bennington's death and to share how his music helped them through their own difficult times. Ohio Governor John Kasich (R) also expressed his sorrow, noting he remains a "big fan" of Linkin Park.

Bennington, who had struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, became a star when Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, became a massive commercial success, selling over 70 million albums.

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