Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist of New Found Glory, died Sunday at 45.
His wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his bandmates announced the death on social media, revealing the musician passed peacefully in his sleep on the morning of September 20th. The Florida-based group shared the news through a detailed Instagram post that described his final moments surrounded by loved ones.
“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” the band wrote on Instagram. They described how he had “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.”
The death came just six months after Gilbert publicly disclosed his battle with brain cancer. In 2021, he had also revealed a diagnosis of a rare adrenal gland tumor. In an April interview, he spoke about maintaining hope through treatment. “It felt good to know that there’s still a battle to be going on and that I can recover from this and grow stronger from this,” he said at the time. He and Cimorelli had shared that his treatment plan included promising immunotherapies aimed at keeping the cancer from spreading to his brain.
Gilbert founded New Found Glory in 1997 at age 17, alongside Stephen Klein, Jordan Pundik and Ian Grushka. Over nearly three decades, he helped shape the band’s sound through more than a dozen albums and relentless touring. He wrote many of their best-known tracks, including “Head on Collision” and “My Friends Over You.”
“Chad’s guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades,” his bandmates wrote in their Sunday statement. They credited him with pushing them to grow “as musicians, performers, and human beings” through years of recording and live shows around the world.
The band expressed gratitude for how peacefully his death came, despite their shock at its speed. “We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went,” they wrote. They noted that the crowd of visitors who “crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice” showed how deeply he was loved.
Beyond his musical legacy, the band emphasized his devotion to family. “He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father,” they wrote. “His biggest dreams came true.”
Gilbert also spoke in his April interview about finding purpose in difficult moments. “I have my crying moments where, like everyone, I have to let it out,” he said. “But I like that we can turn it around into something positive,” He added that his goal remained to “inspire and grow a community of people that want to go to our shows and smile and have a good time.”
New Found Glory earned particular recognition in the UK, where British outlets Kerrang and Rock Sound dubbed them the “Godfathers of Pop-Punk.” Their 2002 album Sticks and Stones reached number 10 on the Official UK Albums Chart, while “My Friends Over You” peaked at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart. The band’s final album with Gilbert, Listen Up!, hit number 3 on the UK Rock and Metal Album Chart. Gilbert was also known in Britain for his decade-long relationship with Paramore’s Hayley Williams, including a brief marriage from 2016 to 2017.
Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus paid tribute following the news, writing, “Chad was the best friend to every person he met. The most positive and creative force in any room he walked into.”
The band closed their statement by vowing to carry his influence forward. “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 wrote.
