New Found Glory Guitarist Chad Gilbert Dies at 45 After Years-Long Battle With Adrenal Cancer

Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist and principal songwriter of New Found Glory, died Sunday, September 20, 2026, at age 45. His wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his bandmates confirmed the death in a joint statement posted to Instagram.

"On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep," the statement read, according to NBC News and multiple other outlets carrying the same post. "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 statement did not name a specific cause of death. Gilbert had been fighting cancer since 2021.

A Five-Year Battle

Gilbert was first diagnosed with metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare tumor of the adrenal gland, in 2021, according to Fox News and Consequence. The cancer spread over the following years to his spine, lungs and eventually his brain.

In 2022, doctors removed a tumor from his spine, according to Loudwire. In February 2026, Fox News reported Gilbert underwent brain surgery after doctors discovered tumors; TMZ dated that same surgery to March, saying doctors removed three brain tumors. NBC News and Consequence both reported that in April 2026, Gilbert told People magazine his diagnosis had been revised to Stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma, an aggressive form of adrenal cancer. Cimorelli told People at the time the new diagnosis carried "a much shorter lifespan than he's already lived," according to NBC News.

Rolling Stone's obituary described Gilbert as having been "initially diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021," which conflicts with the adrenal-gland pheochromocytoma diagnosis reported by Fox News, Consequence, TMZ and Loudwire. Those outlets do not mention liver cancer at any point in Gilbert's illness. Fox News also printed a photo caption reading Gilbert "has died at the age of 54," a clear error contradicting its own headline and every other source, all of which put his age at 45.

Building New Found Glory

Gilbert co-founded New Found Glory in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997, alongside Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka and Steve Klein, with drummer Cyrus Bolooki joining shortly after, according to Variety. He was 17 at the time, according to Rolling Stone, and dropped out of high school after 11th grade when the band signed to Drive-Thru Records.

"We sat at a lunch table with eight people," Gilbert told New Noise earlier this year, in comments republished by Variety. "We were all the weirdos with dyed hair, and we didn't care who you were or what you looked like — you just belonged."

The band released its debut album, "Nothing Gold Can Stay," in 1999 and put out its 11th studio album, "Listen Up!," in February 2026, according to Variety and NBC News. Gilbert wrote most of the band's material, including the genre staples "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision," according to Rolling Stone. He also fronted the hardcore band Shai Hulud in two separate stints and performed with New Found Glory's side project, International Superheroes of Hardcore, according to Loudwire and Variety.

Gilbert was previously married to Paramore singer Hayley Williams from February 2016 to late 2017, Rolling Stone noted.

Tributes From the Scene

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, who has his own history with cancer after a 2021 lymphoma diagnosis, wrote that Gilbert "was the best friend to every person he met," and that "these past years he fought his sickness with the soul of a joyous, courageous warrior," according to Rolling Stone.

Dashboard Confessional, the Offspring, Taking Back Sunday and the Ataris also posted condolences, NBC News reported, along with Good Charlotte's Benjamin and Joel Madden and producer Matthew Koma.

New Found Glory's own statement credited Gilbert with shaping "nearly three decades" of the band's sound: "Chad's guitar playing, songwriting, humor, and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory. 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."

Gilbert is survived by his wife, Lisa; his daughter, Lily; his mother, Jackie; and his brother, Brian, according to the band's statement.

What's Next for the Band

NBC News reported New Found Glory had two shows scheduled for October and November, including a stop on the Vans Warped Tour in Orlando. Neither the band nor its label, Pure Noise Records, had said as of Sunday whether those dates would proceed, be postponed, or go forward as a tribute to Gilbert. Fox News said it had reached out to the band's management and label for comment; no response had been reported.