Members of Linkin Park Mourn Chester Bennington's Death

PALOS VERDES, CA — Members of the alt-rock band Linkin Park publicly mourned the suicide of lead singer Chester Bennington Monday, posting a "Dear Chester" message online hailing the impact he had on countless lives and lamenting the "demons who took you away from us."

Bennington, 41, committed suicide by hanging on Thursday in his Palos Verdes Estates home.

"You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized," Bennington's bandmates wrote in the missive posted on the band's Facebook page. "In the past few days, we've seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world. Talinda (Bennington's wife) and the family appreciate it, and want the world to know that you were the best husband, son and father. The family will never be whole without you.

Talking with you about the years ahead together, your excitement was infectious. 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. You had the biggest heart and managed to wear it on your sleeve," the band wrote in the message.

"Our love for making and performing music is inextinguishable. 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."

City News Service

Photo: Singer Chester Bennington of Linkin Park performs onstage during Spike TV's 10th annual Video Game Awards at Sony Pictures Studios on Dec. 7, 2012, in Culver City, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)