Chad Gilbert has died following a years-long cancer journey. He was 45.
The guitarist and co-founder of rock band New Found Glory died on Sunday 20 September, his bandmates and wife, Lisa Cimorelli, announced the same day.
The rock musician, who had been undergoing treatment for cancer since 2021, had just returned to the stage three months earlier following an emergency brain cancer surgery.
“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” the announcement on social media read.
“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.
“He was a legendary musician, but his favourite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true.”
New Found Glory, whose lineup consists of singer Jordan Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Cyrus Bolooki, also shared a statement about his contributions to the band, which he co-founded in Florida in 1997.
“Chad’s guitar playing, songwriting, humour, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades,” the Sticks and Stones rockers 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.”
Gilbert had been undergoing treatment for metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare adrenal cancer, since 2021, and underwent emergency brain surgery in February after collapsing at his home.
