Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory Guitarist, Dies at 45

Chad Gilbert , a founding member and guitarist for New Found Glory , has died.

He was 45.

Gilbert’s death was announced on social media Sunday (Sept.

20) by the pop-punk band and his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, six months after the musician revealed that he was battling cancer.

Related Gone But Not Forgotten: Musicians We Lost in 2026 New Found Glory Guitarist Chad Gilbert Gives Update After Brain Surgery to Remove Three Tumors: ‘Beginning of a New Chapter’ New Found Glory Return With 11th Studio Album ‘Listen Up!’ “On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” the band wrote .

“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.” The Florida group 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.” The message was signed by New Found Glory members Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Cyrus Bolooki and Dan O’Connor, along with Gilbert’s wife, Cimorelli.

Gilbert had been open with fans about his health struggles in recent years.

In late March, he shared a series of photos from his hospital bed while updating fans on his recovery from brain cancer surgery.

The emergency procedure came after he struggled to control movement in his left hand during a show in Nashville earlier that year.

The surgery followed another major health scare several years earlier.

In December 2021, Cimorelli described finding her husband “unresponsive” in their bed, initially believing he was sick or simply sleeping late.