The world for the music lovers came to a standstill when their favourite Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington committed suicide at his home near Los Angeles on Thursday. He hung himself to death and his body was recovered at his private residence in Palos Verdes Estates. The Grammy Award winning band was scheduled to start a tour on July 27 with their seventh studio album “One More Light,” having released in May.
Mr Bennington known for his penetrating scream has always been open about his problems with depression and substance abuse; however the recent suicide of long-time friend Chris Cornell might have pushed the singer off the edge. Struggling with depression for years, he opened about his past to Rock Sound magazine in 2015. “I literally hated life and I was like, ‘I don’t want to have feelings. I want to be a sociopath. I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to care what other people feel like. I want to feel nothing."
More than 300 million people are affected by depression worldwide. Especially when long-lasting with severe intensity, depression becomes a serious health condition and at its worst, it can lead to suicide. Close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year with it being the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.
Creativity and its relationship with mental health have always been speculated about. There are not one but many artistes who decided to put an abrupt end to their lives. Among them, musicians are peculiarly more prone to take such drastic steps.
Kurt Cobain
The last few years of this legendary singer was consumed by drugs and media pressure. After a long battle with his mental health issues and personal life unhappiness, he took his own life by shooting himself with a shotgun on April 8th, 1994
Elvis Presley
Elvis’ death certificate states hypertensive cardiovascular disease with atherosclerotic heart disease as the cause of death but his toxicology report indicates something else. Codeine, which is an opiate to treat pain, was found ten times higher than therapeutic level in his blood. This point towards suicide. His death remains an unsolved mystery but the presence of codeine at such a high level in his blood is telling a different tale.
Brad Delp
Bradley Edward or Brad Delp was an American musician popularly known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Boston and RTZ. He committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning in 2007. His suicide note, which was recovered clipped the collar of his T-shirt read, “Mr. Brad Delp. 'J'ai une âme solitaire'. I am a lonely soul”. He also left behind four sealed envelopes for his children, ex-wife Micki, fiancée and another unnamed couple.
Elliot Smith
Nebraska born Steven Paul ‘Elliot’ Smith who could play a number of musical instruments. Just like many other artistes, he suffered from significant depression, alcoholism and drug addiction. At an age of 34, he stabbed his own chest to end his life. However, the stab wounds weren’t proved to be self-inflicted.
British charity organization, Help Musicians UK released alarming research findings suggesting that over 70% of professional musicians in the UK suffer from a depressive psychological issue. 71% of respondents indicated they had experienced anxiety and/or panic attacks, whilst 65% reported battles with depression.
Chester Charles Bennington born March 20, 1976 is one of many transcending creative individuals who took their own life whilst struggling with addiction and mental health issues. From musical icons like Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley to movie stars like Robin Williams; athletes, artists, and more have succumb to the depths of depression and suicide.
