MUSIC NEWS: FRIDAY, JULY 21, 2017
OBIT - CHESTER BENNINGTON
Los Angeles authorities are investigating the death of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington as a suicide. His body was found at his home near Los Angeles yesterday, according to the Los Angeles County coroner. Bennington was 41. Bennington and Mike Shinoda acted as vocal counterparts to each other on Linkin Park songs like ``Crawling,'' ''Numb,`` ''In The End`` and ''One Step Closer.`` Linkin Park won two Grammys, including best rap/sung collaboration with Jay Z for ''Numb/Encore.`` Bennington had briefly been the singer for Stone Temple Pilots after the death of Scott Weiland. Bennington had been married twice and had six children.
Bennington was close friends with Chris Cornell and sang at his memorial in May.
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OBIT - CHESTER BENNINGTON - TRIBUTES
Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda says he is ``shocked and heartbroken'' over the apparent suicide of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington. Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue says Bennington had just told him how happy he was. Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects calls Bennington's death ``another gifted voice silenced to the spirit in the sky.'' OneRepublic tweets, ``If anyone out there thinks the world is better without you, you are so unspeakably wrong on every level. Please get help.'' Sully Erna of Godsmack writes on Instagram that musicians have similar struggles but are not in competition with each other. He says to his fellow artists no matter what their genre, reach out to another in times of trouble.
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``DESPACITO'' - MALAYSIA
Malaysia has banned the most popular song in the world right now. Malaysia has forbidden ``Despacito'' by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee from being played on state radio and television, but not on private stations or online.
The country's communications minister says it's because of public complaints about obscene lyrics. ``Despacito'' means ``slowly'' in Spanish and it's a song about seduction. Interestingly, the remix of ``Despacito'' featuring Justin Bieber is not banned.
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CRYSTAL GAYLE - BRENDA LEE
Brenda Lee has dropped out of her performance tomorrow at the Georgia Mountain Fair in northern Georgia because of a broken foot. The fair's website says Crystal Gayle will take her place. Details of Lee's injury are not known.
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CHRIS CORNELL'S WIDOW - MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM
A non-profit group in Seattle will establish a music therapy program for traumatized children because of a gift from Chris Cornell's widow. Rolling Stone reports Childhaven will launch the Chris Cornell Music Therapy Program. Cornell's wife, Vicky, donated 100-thousand dollars to the group. Childhaven helps children affected by neglect, abuse, domestic violence and chemical dependency.
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(The Associated Press)
