Chad Gilbert, New Found Glory Guitarist and Pop-Punk Architect, Dies at 45
The guitarist whose riffs helped define modern pop-punk leaves behind nearly three decades of music, influence, and hard-won resilience.
New Found Glory guitarist and songwriter Chad Gilbert died Sunday, Sept. 20, following a years-long battle with cancer. He was 45.
Gilbert's wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his New Found Glory bandmates announced that he died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by friends and family. His wife and mother were beside him during his final moments.
For nearly three decades, Gilbert supplied the sharp, muscular guitar work at the center of New Found Glory's sound. Joining the band during its earliest days in 1997, he helped turn a collision of punk speed, hardcore weight, and enormous pop hooks into a blueprint followed by countless bands. His playing powered defining songs including "Hit or Miss," "My Friends Over You," and "All Downhill From Here," while albums such as New Found Glory, Sticks and Stones, and Catalyst became cornerstones of the 2000s pop-punk explosion.
Gilbert's influence also stretched well beyond New Found Glory. He previously performed with Shai Hulud and fronted the New Found Glory side project International Superheroes of Hardcore. As a producer, he worked with artists including A Day to Remember, Set Your Goals, State Champs, Terror, and Fireworks, helping shape another wave of punk and hardcore records.
Gilbert had publicly documented his health battle since 2021, when doctors discovered a rare adrenal tumor after he collapsed at home. The cancer later spread, requiring treatment for tumors in several parts of his body. In February 2026, he underwent emergency brain surgery after new tumors began affecting his mobility.
Despite the severity of his condition, Gilbert continued writing and recording. New Found Glory released Listen Up! in February, an album created while he was undergoing intensive treatment and built around perseverance, gratitude, and finding joy during life's most difficult stretches. In June, he made an emotional return to the stage in Nashville, performing "Hit or Miss" and "My Friends Over You" from a motorized scooter. It was the first New Found Glory performance his daughter had seen in person.
"His influence will always be part of New Found Glory," the band wrote in its tribute, adding that Gilbert's spirit would remain present in every performance and every note.
Gilbert is survived by his wife, Lisa; their daughter, Lily; his mother, Jackie; and his brother, Brian. Reflecting on his life earlier this year, he said, "I got my dream in my family, and to have done so many things creatively."
