Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017) was an American singer who served as the lead vocalist of rock band Linkin Park. He was also a lead vocalist of Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise and Stone Temple Pilots at various points. Bennington first gained prominence as a vocalist following the release of Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory (2000), which was a worldwide commercial success. The album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2005, making it the bestselling debut album of the decade, as well as one of the few albums ever to achieve that many sales. Linkin Park's following studio albums, from Meteora (2003) to One More Light (2017), continued the band's success.