LONDON — British singer Lauren Bennett, member of the girl group G.R.L. and featured artist on LMFAO’s global smash hit Party Rock Anthem, has died at the age of 37.
Her former musical group shared the news on its Instagram account Monday.
“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren,” G.R.L. wrote on their Instagram page. “Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us.”
The statement did not reveal a cause of death, and representatives for Bennett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While her former bandmates announced the news on social media on Monday, USA Today reported that Kent and Medway Coroner records show Bennett died in England weeks ago on May 29. An inquest into the circumstances of her death is scheduled for October.
Bennett leaves behind a six-year-old daughter, Harlow, who she shareswith dancer and Footloose actor Kenny Wormald.
Party Rock Anthem has been named the fifth most successful song of all time by Billboard after spending six weeks as the number one song on its Hot 100 in 2011.
Bennett also featured alongside LMFAO members in the song’s music video, which has more than 2.5bn views on YouTube.
In 2014 she joined pop group G.R.L., created as a reboot of The Pussycat Dolls, alongside singers Paula Van Oppen, Natasha Slayton, Simone Battle, and Emmalyn Estrada.
The group’s most popular single was Ugly Heart, released in 2014. They also featured on Pitbull’s song Wild Wild Love that same year.
Bennett separately sang on soundtracks for the movies Date Night and 21 Jump Street.
Born in Meopham, Kent, UK, Bennett entered local talent contests and sang in pubs and bars before entering The X Factor as a teenager. After she was sent home having made it to the final 12, she was asked to audition for a new girl group called Paradiso Girls. Upon joining the band, Bennett moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17.
After Party Rock Anthem with LMFAO became a global hit in 2011, Bennett joined G.R.L., a five-piece all-women band. The group appeared on Pitbull’s 2014 single Wild Wild Love and had their biggest hit with Ugly Heart, which reached the UK Top 20 and the Top 5 in Australia and New Zealand.
After the death of member Simone Battle in 2014, the band released a tribute single, titled Lighthouse and teamed up with the mental health charity Give an Hour.
“There’s a lot of young people who are taking their own lives, and the music industry is so influential on youth,” Bennett said at the time. “Hopefully, for us, we would love to help at least one person.”
G.R.L. continued to occasionally perform live and briefly reunited as a four-piece in 2020.
“We will forever cherish the love, laughter, and countless memories she gave us,” G.R.L. wrote in tribute to Bennett. “Her beautiful spirit touched so many lives, and she will be deeply missed and forever loved.”
Source: Saudi Gazette