New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert dies at 45

Chad Gilbert, founding guitarist of New Found Glory, died on the morning of September 20 at 45. The band and his family confirmed the death in a joint statement, saying he "passed away peacefully in his sleep" and "took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished." He is survived by his wife, Lisa, his daughter, Lily, his mother, Jackie, and his brother, Brian.

Gilbert helped start New Found Glory in Florida in the mid 90s and played on all 11 of their studio albums. The 1999 debut Nothing Gold Can Stay introduced them; 2000's New Found Glory made them a crossover act, and 2004's Catalyst pushed the band toward alternative rock. The statement credits his guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and drive with shaping the group across nearly three decades.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and had chemotherapy the following year. Earlier in 2026 he had emergency brain surgery, and in April he confirmed the diagnosis had changed to Stage 4 Carcinoma.