Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist and backing vocalist of New Found Glory, has died at 45 following years of cancer treatment.
Gilbert died on September 20, 2026. His wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his New Found Glory bandmates announced the news, saying he passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family and friends, with his wife and mother by his side.
The musician had spent much of the past five years dealing with serious health problems while continuing to write music, work with New Found Glory and remain involved in his family’s life.
Chad Gilbert’s Cancer Battle
Gilbert first publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis in 2021 after doctors discovered a rare tumor. His treatment included major surgeries and continued medical care as the disease spread.
In 2026, his health situation became significantly more serious. Gilbert developed neurological symptoms, including weakness in his leg and hand. Doctors subsequently discovered three tumors in his brain, one of which required emergency surgery.
In an April interview with PEOPLE’s report on Gilbert’s cancer journey, he explained that doctors had revised his diagnosis to Stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare form of cancer affecting the adrenal cortex.
His treatment over the years included surgery, radiation and immunotherapy. The illness affected his spine, lungs and other parts of his body before the discovery of the brain tumors.
Although his condition had become increasingly difficult, Gilbert continued to share updates about his health and remained connected to his music.
His Final Return to Music
One of the defining moments of Gilbert’s final year came when he returned to the stage after his brain surgery.
In June 2026, he performed with New Found Glory in Nashville. Because of his physical condition following surgery, he performed from a mobility scooter.
The appearance was particularly meaningful because his daughter, Lily, was able to see him perform. Gilbert had previously spoken about how important becoming a father was to him.
His return also demonstrated that music remained a major part of his life even as he dealt with an increasingly complicated medical situation.
New Found Glory Career
Gilbert co-founded New Found Glory in Florida in 1997 and became one of the key musicians behind the band’s sound.
The group developed from the South Florida punk scene into one of the recognizable names associated with the pop-punk movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
New Found Glory’s breakthrough included albums such as Nothing Gold Can Stay, New Found Glory and Sticks and Stones. The latter produced the band’s well-known hit “My Friends Over You.”
The band’s record label, Pure Noise Records’ New Found Glory artist page, describes the group as having formed in Coral Springs in 1997 and highlights Gilbert’s contribution to its later work.
Gilbert remained involved with the band for almost three decades and contributed guitar, songwriting and backing vocals across its extensive catalog.
His Work Beyond New Found Glory
Gilbert’s musical career extended well beyond his best-known band.
Before New Found Glory became established, he was involved with the hardcore group Shai Hulud. He later participated in projects including International Superheroes of Hardcore and released music through his solo project What’s Eating Gilbert.
He also worked as a producer for other punk and hardcore acts. His production credits included projects involving A Day to Remember, H2O and State Champs.
That work gave Gilbert a presence across several parts of the punk and hardcore community rather than limiting his influence to New Found Glory’s recordings.
Gilbert Focused on His Family
During the later part of his illness, Gilbert spoke increasingly about his wife and daughter.
In his April 2026 interview with PEOPLE, he described his family as a major source of meaning during treatment. He and Cimorelli had also tried to protect their young daughter from the full seriousness of his condition while allowing her to remain involved in his everyday life.
His family was also present during his final moments.
According to the death announcement reported by NBC News, Gilbert died peacefully in his sleep with his wife and mother beside him. He is survived by Cimorelli, their daughter Lily, his mother Jackie and his brother Brian.
New Found Glory Remembers Gilbert
Following his death, New Found Glory paid tribute to the guitarist’s contribution to the band and its history.
The group credited his guitar playing, songwriting and drive with helping shape New Found Glory throughout its nearly three-decade career.
The band also emphasized the personal side of Gilbert’s life, describing his role as a husband and father as his favorite achievement.
Variety’s report on Gilbert’s death confirmed that he was 45 and had been a founding guitarist and backing vocalist for New Found Glory.
A Career That Spanned Decades
Gilbert’s career began when he was young and eventually took him from the South Florida hardcore scene to international stages with New Found Glory.
The band released more than a dozen albums and toured extensively during a period when pop-punk became one of the most visible parts of alternative music.
Gilbert also continued contributing creatively while undergoing treatment. New Found Glory’s 2026 album Listen Up! was released during the period in which he was dealing with his worsening health. The record was described by the band’s label as being shaped in part by the group’s experiences and Gilbert’s ongoing cancer battle.
His final months therefore combined two very different parts of his life: an increasingly difficult medical journey and a continued connection to the music that had defined his career.
Chad Gilbert Dies at 45
Chad Gilbert’s death brings an end to the career of a musician who spent nearly three decades helping shape New Found Glory.
While his family and band have confirmed his death, reports have not described a separate official medical statement establishing a specific immediate cause of death. Gilbert had, however, been receiving cancer treatment for years and had publicly discussed his Stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma diagnosis earlier in 2026.
He leaves behind his wife, daughter, mother and brother, along with a large body of music created during a career that connected the hardcore and pop-punk scenes.
For New Found Glory, his absence marks the loss of a founding member whose guitar work and songwriting were central to the band’s identity from its earliest years.
