Posted July 25, 2017 10:37:56

Photo: Chester Bennington was found dead in his home near Los Angeles last week. (AP: Paul A. Hebert, Invision)

The members of California rock band Linkin Park say the suicide of frontman Chester Bennington has left them broken-hearted but recall it was Bennington's demons that made fans fall in love with the group.

In their first statement since Bennington's suicide at his southern California home last week, the remaining members of Linkin Park said they did not know, "what path our future may take".

The alt-rock band on Friday cancelled its North American tour that had been due to start on July 27.

Bennington, 41, had a history of alcohol and drug abuse and depression and had spoken openly in the past about his struggles when Linkin Park first found fame in 2000 with their best-selling debut album Hybrid Theory.

"Dear Chester, our hearts are broken," the band said in a statement.

"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.

"After all, it was the way you sang about those demons that made everyone fall in love with you in the first place.

"You fearlessly put them on display, and in doing so, brought us together and taught us to be more human," the statement added.

Sales of band's latest album soar

Bennington was one of two lead vocalists for Linkin Park, which became one of the most commercially successful acts of the 2000s.

They won countless awards, including Grammys, and their hits include In the End, What I've Done and Numb.

The group also includes Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, Joe Hahnand and Rob Bourdo.

"Our love for making and performing music is inextinguishable," they said in the statement.

"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."

Bennington, who was twice married, leaves six children.

The band said they and the singer's wife Talinda and his family appreciated the love and support shown by fans and other musicians over his death.

Bennington was the second American rock star to die from suicide in the past two months.

Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, 52, a close friend of Bennington, killed himself in a Detroit hotel room in May.

Since the death of Bennington, sales of Linkin Park music has soared.

Purchases of the band's May release, One More Light, surged 461 per cent for the week to land in 17th place on the US Billboard 200 album chart.

Reuters/AP

Topics: music, suicide, rock, death, arts-and-entertainment, united-states