Entertainment

'Dear Chester, our hearts are broken:' Linkin Park posts message after singer's death

Chester Bennington's Linkin Park bandmates have issued their first official statement since the frontman's death last week.

Band's music returns to charts after Bennington death; bandmates set up tribute site

Chester Bennington's Linkin Park bandmates have set up a site to pay tribute to the rock singer-songwriter, who died last week. (John Shearer/Associated Press)

"Our hearts are broken," Chester Bennington's Linkin Park bandmates said in their first official statement since the frontman's death last week.

"Your absence leaves a void that can never be filled—a boisterous, funny, ambitious, creative, kind, generous voice in the room is missing. We're trying to remind ourselves that the demons who took you away from us were always part of the deal," the rock singer-songwriter's fellow band members wrote in a message posted on Facebook.

"While we don't know what path our future may take, we know that each of our lives was made better by you. Thank you for that gift. We love you, and miss you so much."

Since his death, the group has returned to the charts. Billboard says the band's latest effort, One More Light, re-entered Billboard's Top 200 album charts at No. 17 on the most recent chart.

The band's popular debut, Hybrid Theory, checked in at No. 27.

One More Light topped Amazon's list of best-selling albums Monday, while Hybrid Theory was fifth.

More than 11 million copies of Hybrid Theory have sold since it was first released in 2000.

The band's 2003 follow-up Meteora was at No. 41 on the Billboard list, while 2007's Minutes to Midnight was at No. 115.

Bennington was found dead in his home near Los Angeles on Thursday. He was 41.

On Friday, the coroner confirmed the singer had killed himself and concert promoter Live Nation officially cancelled the band's upcoming tour.

Over the weekend, Linkin Park set up a tribute site honouring Bennington. The online space is for fans to share messages and also points to suicide prevention resources. 

With files from CBC News