Chad Gilbert, Founding New Found Glory Guitarist and Songwriter, Dies at 45

Chad Gilbert, Founding New Found Glory Guitarist and Songwriter, Dies at 45

Chad Gilbert, founding guitarist and longtime songwriter for New Found Glory, has died at age 45 after a years-long battle with cancer. ??????

For nearly three decades, Gilbert helped shape the sound, energy and identity of one of pop-punk's most recognizable bands. As a guitarist and songwriter, he played a major role in the music that made New Found Glory a defining name of the late-1990s and 2000s pop-punk era.

Songs including "My Friends Over You," "All Downhill From Here" and "Hit or Miss" became staples for a generation of fans who grew up with pop-punk playing in their cars, bedrooms, CD players and early digital playlists. New Found Glory's mix of melodic hooks, fast guitars and emotional lyrics helped establish a sound that would influence countless bands that followed.

Gilbert's role went far beyond simply performing onstage. His songwriting and guitar work became central to the band's musical identity, helping New Found Glory maintain a remarkably consistent career while the broader rock landscape changed around them.

A Long Fight With Cancer

Gilbert had been battling cancer since 2021, facing multiple serious health challenges while continuing to remain connected to music and his bandmates.

Earlier this year, his condition took another difficult turn when tumors affected the left side of his body and led to emergency brain surgery. The health setback significantly limited his mobility, but Gilbert continued working toward a return to the stage.

That return came in June during an emotional hometown performance in Nashville.

Despite everything he had been through, Gilbert joined New Found Glory onstage while using a motorized scooter. The appearance became a powerful moment for both the band and its fans, showing just how determined he remained to perform and be part of the music that had defined so much of his life. ?????

For longtime listeners, seeing Gilbert back with the band carried even more weight because of the seriousness of the health challenges he had been facing.

Nearly Three Decades With New Found Glory

New Found Glory formed in the late 1990s and became part of the wave of bands that pushed pop-punk into the mainstream during the early 2000s.

Gilbert was there through nearly every chapter.

The band built a loyal following through relentless touring, energetic live shows and albums filled with the kind of melodic guitar-driven songs that became closely tied to the pop-punk generation.

Tracks like "Hit or Miss" helped establish New Found Glory early in its career, while "My Friends Over You" became one of the band's signature songs and a defining track of the era. "All Downhill From Here" continued that momentum as New Found Glory remained a major presence in alternative and rock music.

For fans who grew up during that period, those songs became more than radio singles. They became part of high school years, road trips, relationships, breakups, Warped Tour summers and the soundtrack of an entire era.

Gilbert's guitar work and songwriting were woven throughout it all.

Bandmates Remember His Impact

Following his death, Gilbert's New Found Glory bandmates remembered him not only for his musical contributions but also for the personality and determination he brought to the group.

They highlighted his songwriting, humor and the role he played in building the band's history over nearly three decades.

For a group that spent so many years recording, touring and growing together, Gilbert's death represents the loss of both a bandmate and someone who helped create the foundation of New Found Glory itself.

His influence will remain in the records, performances and songs that introduced millions of listeners to the band.

And for fans, those songs now carry another layer of meaning.

Gilbert spent much of his life helping create music meant to be played loud, sung with friends and remembered years later. Even through serious illness, he continued fighting to return to the stage and remain connected to the band and community that had been such a major part of his life.

His final Nashville appearance offered one last example of that determination.

Chad Gilbert was 45.

?? What New Found Glory song takes you back immediately?