New Found Glory guitarist and co-founder Chad Gilbert died Sunday, September 20, at age 45 following a yearslong battle with cancer.
Gilbert’s wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his New Found Glory bandmates announced his death on social media, saying he died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family and friends.
“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” they wrote. “He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished.”
“We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went. The amount of visitors that crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice is a testament to how beloved and cherished Chad was, and always will be,” the statement continued. “He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true.”
Gilbert had been undergoing treatment for metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare adrenal cancer, since 2021. In February, he underwent emergency brain surgery after experiencing weakness in his left hand and leg and doctors discovered three tumors in his brain. The surgery was successful, but revealed that his cancer had progressed to adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), a different and more aggressive form of adrenal cancer.
Just four months later, Gilbert returned to the stage in his hometown of Nashville. On June 8, he played guitar with New Found Glory during “Hit or Miss” and “My Friends Over You” from a motorized scooter.
“I got to play a show in front of my daughter, something I truly never thought I’d get to do again,” he wrote on Instagram after the performance. He also thanked “all the nurses and doctors, my amazing team that have kept me alive through my battle.”
Gilbert remained open about his determination to keep making music and spending time with his family throughout his treatment. Speaking to People in April, he said, “I got my dream in my family, and to have done so many things creatively.
“I always wanted to play music, and I got that, but my biggest dream was to be married to a beautiful wife that would love me and have a daughter,” he said of his daughter, Lily, who was 5 at the time. “That was my dream, so I accomplished my dream.”
Gilbert co-founded New Found Glory in Florida in 1997 and served as the band’s lead guitarist and songwriter for nearly three decades. The group went on to release more than a dozen albums and become one of the defining bands of the pop-punk era.
He favored Gibson Les Paul electrics for much of his time with the group before switching to Telecasters, whose light weight was easier on his spine.
“Chad’s guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades,” his bandmates wrote. “Through more than a dozen albums, endless tours around the world, and more accolades than we ever could have imagined, Chad challenged all of us to grow as musicians, performers, and human beings.”
“While we are devastated to lose him, we are so grateful for the incredible life he lived, the memories we shared, and the brotherhood we had. His influence will always be part of New Found Glory and his spirit will be felt on every stage we stand on, with every note we play,” they continued. “Rest in peace, Chad. We love you forever ❤️.”
Gilbert is survived by his wife and daughter, as well as his mother, Jackie, and brother, Brian.
