Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist and songwriter who helped shape New Found Glory into one of pop-punk’s biggest bands, has died after a years-long battle with cancer. He was 45.
Gilbert died Sunday, Sept. 20, according to a joint statement from his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his New Found Glory bandmates. They said he died peacefully in his sleep with loved ones nearby.
“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” the statement said.
His wife and mother were reportedly by his side during his final moments.
The announcement stunned fans, especially because Gilbert had made an emotional return to the stage just three months earlier after undergoing emergency brain surgery.
Gilbert had been battling cancer since 2021, when he was diagnosed with metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer involving the adrenal gland.
His health took a frightening turn earlier this year.
Gilbert said he began losing control of his left hand while performing in Nashville on Feb. 20. His left leg also became increasingly weak, causing him to stumble and fall.
Three days later, a CT scan revealed three tumors in his brain.
He underwent surgery on Feb. 27 and said afterward that he immediately regained function in his left hand.
Gilbert later revealed that doctors had classified his cancer as stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma, an aggressive form of adrenal cancer. He continued undergoing treatment while stepping back from touring.
Then came a moment few fans expected.
On June 8, Gilbert joined New Found Glory onstage in Nashville while using a motorized scooter, performing “Hit or Miss” and “My Friends Over You.”
It marked his first performance with the band since the brain surgery.
The night carried even more meaning because Gilbert’s young daughter, Lily, was there to watch.
“I got to play a show in front of my daughter, something I truly never thought I’d get to do again,” Gilbert later wrote.
Months before his death, Gilbert also spoke openly about how his priorities had changed during his illness.
While music had been a lifelong dream, he said becoming a husband and father meant even more.
“I got my dream,” he told PEOPLE earlier this year while talking about his wife and daughter.
Gilbert co-founded New Found Glory in South Florida in 1997 and spent nearly three decades helping define the band’s energetic pop-punk sound.
The group broke through nationally with its self-titled 2000 album and became a major force in the early-2000s pop-punk scene, releasing songs including “Hit or Miss,” “My Friends Over You” and “All Downhill From Here.”
His bandmates credited Gilbert’s guitar playing, songwriting and relentless drive with shaping New Found Glory throughout its career.
“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,” the band said.
Tributes quickly poured in from across the rock world.
Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus remembered Gilbert as an overwhelmingly positive and creative presence who faced his illness with gratitude, while Yellowcard frontman Ryan Key credited Gilbert with encouraging him to keep making music following Yellowcard’s 2017 breakup. Dashboard Confessional singer Chris Carrabba also paid tribute to Gilbert’s strength during his illness.
Gilbert is survived by his wife Lisa, daughter Lily, mother Jackie and brother Brian.
For fans who followed his health journey, his June return to the stage now carries an especially emotional weight. After brain surgery, months of treatment and years of fighting cancer, Gilbert was able to play with the band he helped build one more time — with his daughter watching from the crowd.