Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory Founding Guitarist, Dies at 45

Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist and principal songwriter of New Found Glory, died on September 20 at age 45. His death was announced in a joint statement from the band and his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, on Instagram. "On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep," the statement 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."

Gilbert had been open about his cancer fight since 2021, when he was diagnosed with a rare adrenal gland tumor called pheochromocytoma. The cancer later spread to his liver, spine, and lungs. In March 2026, he underwent emergency brain surgery after three tumors were found, and his diagnosis was revised to stage four adrenocortical carcinoma. He returned to the stage in June, performing from a mobility scooter at a New Found Glory show in Nashville.

The band's statement continued: "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 favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true."

Gilbert co-founded New Found Glory in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997 with vocalist Jordan Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka, and drummer Cyrus Bolooki. The group became a defining act of the early-2000s pop-punk boom, with albums like Sticks and Stones and Catalyst both reaching the top 10 on the Billboard 200. Gilbert wrote many of the band's best-known songs, including "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision."

The band's most recent album, Listen Up!, was released in February 2026. Gilbert continued to work on the record and tour despite his illness. In a tribute, the band wrote: "Chad's guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades. 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."

Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, who has also battled cancer, remembered Gilbert on Instagram. "Chad was the best friend to every person he met," Hoppus wrote. "The most positive and creative force in any room he walked into. These past years he fought his sickness with the soul of a joyous, courageous warrior."

Gilbert is survived by his wife, Lisa, their daughter, Lily, his mother, Jackie, and his brother, Brian.