Lauren Bennett, the British singer whose vocals powered LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" to six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, died May 29 in England. She was 36 years old, less than a month shy of her 37th birthday.
Kent and Medway Coroner records obtained by USA TODAY confirmed the death. No cause has been released. An inquest into the circumstances is scheduled for October.
Her former bandmates in G.R.L. broke the news publicly on July 6, more than five weeks after Bennett's death, posting a statement to the group's official Instagram page. The gap between the date of death and the public announcement remains unexplained.
Born June 24, 1989, in Meopham, England, Bennett entered the music industry at 18 when she formed the Paradiso Girls in 2007. The group released its debut single, "Patron Tequila," two years later.
By 2010, Bennett had launched a solo career. She collaborated with CeeLo Green and will.i.am during that stretch, building a profile that landed her the feature slot on what would become one of the decade's most recognizable pop tracks.
"Party Rock Anthem" dropped in 2011. The song dominated American radio and sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks, a run that made Bennett's voice familiar to millions who may never have known her name.
The entertainment world has absorbed a string of losses in recent months. Victor Willis, the Village People lead singer and co-writer of "YMCA," died at 74, another reminder of how quickly the artists behind era-defining songs can slip from public view.
Bennett later joined G.R.L., a pop group that collaborated with Pitbull on "Wild Wild Love." But the group's story carried its own weight of loss. In 2014, member Simone Battle died by suicide at just 25.
After Battle's death, G.R.L. released a tribute song called "Lighthouse" in partnership with the G.R.L. Gives an Hour campaign supporting mental health. The band split the following year, in 2015.
Bennett continued recording on her own, releasing songs titled "Reality" and "Hurricane." She also reunited with her G.R.L. bandmates, Emmalyn Estrada, Natasha Slayton, and Paula van Oppen, for various projects in the years that followed.
It was those three women who signed the July 6 Instagram tribute. They wrote under the names "Em, Tash, and P."
"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. 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."
USA TODAY reported it had reached out to Bennett's representative for comment but did not indicate receiving a response.
The coroner records confirm the basic facts, date, location, and age, but leave the most important question open. Bennett's cause of death has not been disclosed. The scheduled October inquest suggests authorities have not yet closed the matter.
No specific city within England has been identified as the location of her death. The coroner's jurisdiction, Kent and Medway, covers a wide stretch of southeastern England that includes Bennett's hometown of Meopham.
Celebrity deaths that leave circumstances unclear tend to invite speculation, which is precisely why the inquest process matters. When Florida police recently closed the investigation into Hulk Hogan's death and confirmed natural causes, the official determination gave the public a definitive answer. Bennett's family and fans are still waiting for theirs.
Bennett's career arc illustrates a peculiar corner of the modern music industry. A singer can lend her voice to a track that defines a cultural moment, played at every wedding reception, every football tailgate, every New Year's Eve countdown for a decade, and still remain largely anonymous to the public that consumed it.
"Party Rock Anthem" was not a deep cut. It was one of the biggest pop songs of the 2010s. Yet Bennett's death drew little immediate public attention, arriving weeks before her bandmates issued a formal statement.
The entertainment industry has seen several notable losses recently. David Clayton-Thomas, the unmistakable voice of Blood, Sweat & Tears, died at 84, and character actor Joby Baker passed at 92, each a reminder that the people behind beloved performances deserve to be remembered by name.
Bennett started young, worked steadily, and left behind a catalog that ranged from girl-group pop to solo releases. She was 18 when she formed her first group. She was 22 when "Party Rock Anthem" hit No. 1. She was 36 when she died in the country where she was born.
The October inquest may provide the answers her fans and former collaborators deserve. Until then, the facts are spare: a young woman, a voice millions recognized, and a death no one has explained.
Some people make music the whole world hears. The least the world can do is notice when they're gone.