Lauren Bennett, singer in LMFAO and GRL, dead at 36
Lauren Bennett, a singer who featured in pop groups such as LMFAO and GRL, has died aged 36.
The British musician appeared on ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by LMFAO, which went on to be one of the biggest chart hits of the year when it was released in 2011, and indeed of all time.
The news of Bennett’s passing was announced in an Instagram post by GRL on July 6th, which said: “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren. Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us.”
They added, “We will forever cherish the love, laughter, and countless memories she gave us. Her beautiful spirit touched so many lives, and she will be deeply missed and forever loved. Rest peacefully, sweet Lauren. You will always be in our hearts.”
Bennett was reported to have died on May 29th, under a month shy of her 37th birthday, but the news of her passing was not shared publicly until now.
The band did not reveal a cause of death for Bennett at this time. It tragically comes as the second loss of a member of GRL, after Simone Battle died by suicide in 2015.
The group, with other members consisting of Paula Van Oppen, Natasha Slayton, and Emmalyn Estrada, was created as a reinvention of girl bands like the Pussycat Dolls, and went on to have their breakthrough hit with ‘Ugly Heart’ in 2014.
For Bennett’s part, she was also the female singer who appeared on the chart smash ‘Party Rock Anthem’ three years prior, which spent six weeks at number one in the US upon its release, and was subsequently named the fifth most successful song of all time.
She also embarked on various other musical ventures over the years, including a solo career with singles ‘I Wish I Wish’ in 2011 and ‘Hurricane’ in 2016, as well as forming the folk rock duo Bennett with her brother, Ryan, in 2017.
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