The rock world is in mourning.
Chad Gilbert—lead guitarist and co-founder of the punk rock band New Found Glory—has died following a battle with cancer, his bandmates and wife Lisa Cimorelliannounced Sept. 20. He was 45.
“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” New Found Glory and Cimorelli wrote in a joint Instagram statement Sept. 20. “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 message continued. “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.”
While Gilbert—who shared daughter Lily, 5, with Cimorelli—was remembered as a “legendary musician,” his loved ones shared that his “favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father.”
As they emphasized, “His biggest dreams came true.”
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Gilbert was first diagnosed with metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer, in 2021 and began undergoing treatment. After suffering from multiple reoccurrences—resulting in further treatment—in the years that followed, the musician shared on Instagram in March that he underwent brain surgery after doctors found “3 new tumors” in his brain.
At the time, Gilbert wrote that his procedure was “successful.”
Three months before his death, the “My Friends Are Over You” rocker returned to the stage for the first time since, performing in his hometown of Nashville.
Following his passing, New Found Glory’s current lineup—Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka and Cyrus Bolooki—honored Gilbert’s legacy while reflecting on their many years making music together.
“Chad’s guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades,” the band wrote in the announcement of Gilbert’s death. “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,” their message continued. “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.”
Prior to his marriage to Cimorelli, Gilbert was in a relationship with Hayley Williams for 10 years. He married the Paramore frontwoman in 2016 after nearly eight years of dating, before divorcing in 2017.
Gilbert was also briefly married to Eisleysinger Sherri DuPree in 2007.
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