Paramore singer Hayley Williams has written a moving tribute to her ex-husband, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, on social media.
Gilbert sadly lost his battle with brain cancer earlier this week. He was diagnosed with the illness six months ago and passed away on Sunday at the age of just 45.
Williams, who was with Gilbert for a decade, posted on Instagram that: “Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot. He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways, and to music and culture that has made life a lot richer.”
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“There isn’t much that hasn’t already been said about what he contributed to the musical world a lot of us grew up in. His influence and attitude guided the genre forward. His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me.”
She continued: “I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore. Sending love and my sympathies to his family, NFG fam, and all his friends.”
Gilbert and Williams were something of a poster couple for the Noughties punk/emo generation that came to prominence during the early social media era. Williams appeared on New Found Glory’s 2015 single Vicious Love. The pair began dating in 2007, married in 2016 but divorced the following year.
New Found Glory have cancelled their appearance at the Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California, but the group have said they’re going ahead with a scheduled six appearances at the Eat To The Beat event at the Epcot theme park in Disney World next week. It seems, Gilbert was a huge Disney fan.
In a statement, the band have said: “Our shows at Epcot were dates he was so excited for and he was actively planning to be on stage with us there. He had already worked on the setlists with us and was practising as much as possible to be ready. Because of how much he wanted to play these shows, taking the stage at Epcot feels like the right way to honour him, and what he would want us to do.
“Our plan from the beginning with him was to announce our Epcot sets ahead of time, so we feel it’s only appropriate to share them with you now as we prepare to play in his memory.”
“Every note we play and every word you sing at Epcot is for Chad. Thank you all for wrapping us in so much love, understanding, and support as we come together to honour his legacy.”
