BRAVE FIGHT

Rock Star Dies at 45 After Health Battle

The pop-punk guitarist and lyricist died in his sleep over the weekend.

The lead guitarist of Florida pop-punk act New Found Glory has died after a battle with brain cancer. Chad Gilbert, who was a founding member of the band, died in his sleep on Sunday. He was 45. His fellow bandmates Ian Grushka, Jordan Pundik, and Stephen Klein paid tribute in a social media post announcing his death. “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,” they wrote. “We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went,” they added. Gilbert revealed his brain cancer diagnosis six months ago, after doctors had previously diagnosed him with liver cancer in 2021. He also performed as both a vocalist and guitarist on tracks by fellow pop-punk act Fall Out Boy, and was previously in a relationship with Hayley Williams, lead singer of Paramore, to whom he was briefly married between 2016 and 2017.

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