Chad Gilbert: Biography, New Found Glory Career, Music and Legacy

Chad Gilbert was an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer best known as a founding member of New Found Glory. He helped shape the band’s energetic blend of punk rock, melodic hooks and emotionally direct lyrics, making him one of the important musicians in modern pop-punk.

Gilbert died peacefully in his sleep on September 20, 2026, at age 45, according to a statement from his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his New Found Glory bandmates. The statement did not give a specific cause of death, although Gilbert had been receiving treatment for cancer since 2021.usatoday+1

His story includes much more than one band or one diagnosis. From Florida’s punk scene to international tours and a difficult final illness, Gilbert built a career defined by persistence, creativity and a strong connection with fans.

Who was Chad Gilbert?

Chad Everett Gilbert was born on March 9, 1981, in Coral Springs, Florida. He became involved in music as a teenager, entering the South Florida punk and hardcore scene before New Found Glory achieved mainstream success.

Gilbert was not only a guitarist. He also contributed backing vocals, songwriting, production and much of the creative direction that helped define New Found Glory’s sound. His playing combined fast punk rhythms with bright, memorable guitar melodies—an approach that became central to the band’s appeal.

Before his best-known work with New Found Glory, Gilbert was associated with the hardcore band Shai Hulud. That experience gave him a foundation in heavier music and connected him to the underground punk community.

New Found Glory and pop-punk success

Gilbert co-founded New Found Glory in Coral Springs in 1997 with Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka and Steve Klein. Joe Moreno was initially part of the lineup but was soon replaced by Cyrus Bolooki.variety

The band developed a following through relentless touring and independent releases before signing with Drive-Thru Records. Their early work helped establish the fast, melodic style that would become closely associated with early-2000s pop-punk.

New Found Glory’s early albums included:

• Nothing Gold Can Stay (1999).

• New Found Glory (2000).

• Sticks and Stones (2002).

• Catalyst (2004).

• Coming Home (2006).

The 2002 album Sticks and Stones was a major turning point. It included “My Friends Over You,” one of the band’s most recognizable songs, and helped bring New Found Glory to a much wider audience. “Hit or Miss,” “Head on Collision” and “All Downhill From Here” also became important songs in the group’s catalog.

The band continued releasing music for more than two decades. Gilbert played on the group’s albums from its 1999 debut through Listen Up!, released in 2026.variety+1

Why Gilbert mattered to the band

New Found Glory’s success came from the combination of several personalities and talents. Pundik’s vocals gave the songs their emotional edge, while Gilbert’s guitar work supplied much of the momentum and melodic structure.

His importance was especially clear in the band’s songwriting. The songs often dealt with friendship, breakups, insecurity, growing older and trying to move forward. That directness helped listeners connect with the music beyond its fast tempos and catchy choruses.

For many fans, Gilbert represented the working musician who kept creating, recording and touring even after the band’s commercial peak had passed.

Other music and production work

Although New Found Glory was Gilbert’s central project, his career extended beyond the band. He was also involved in recording and production work for other artists.

Reported credits and associations included work with acts such as H2O, Terror, Lisa Loeb, State Champs and A Day to Remember.loudwire

His background across pop-punk and hardcore allowed him to work with artists whose music required both aggressive energy and strong melodic instincts. This made him a useful collaborator for bands trying to preserve the urgency of punk while improving their arrangements and studio sound.

Gilbert also had occasional connections to film and television music, although his main public identity remained that of a touring musician and songwriter.

Chad Gilbert’s family and relationships

At the time of his death, Gilbert was married to Lisa Cimorelli, a singer and member of the family pop group Cimorelli. The couple married in 2020 and had a daughter, Lily, in 2021.stereogum+1

Gilbert had previously been married to Sherri DuPree-Bemis and Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramore. His relationship with Williams attracted attention because both were prominent figures in the alternative and pop-punk music scenes. The couple married in 2016 and divorced the following year. They reportedly remained on friendly terms.usatoday

In later interviews, Gilbert described his family as his greatest personal achievement. Speaking to PEOPLE in 2026, he said he had fulfilled his dream of having a loving wife and daughter.people

That perspective became especially meaningful during his illness, when time with his family often mattered as much as performing or recording.

Chad Gilbert’s cancer journey

Gilbert publicly discussed his cancer diagnosis beginning in 2021. His illness was initially described as metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer involving a tumor of the adrenal gland.

In December 2021, Gilbert became critically ill after his wife found him unresponsive at home. He later said that the tumor had caused severe changes in his blood pressure and blood sugar. Doctors removed the tumor, but the disease later returned and affected other parts of his body.usatoday

Over the following years, treatment included surgeries, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation. Reports described cancer affecting areas including his spine, lungs, back and brain.

In February 2026, Gilbert lost control of his left hand and the left side of his body during a New Found Glory event in Nashville. Medical scans revealed three brain tumors, including one that was pressing against the brain. He underwent emergency surgery and later received radiation treatment.rollingstone

By April 2026, Gilbert said doctors had revised his diagnosis to stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the adrenal gland.usatoday+1

It is important to distinguish between Gilbert’s reported medical history and the cause of death. His family and bandmates announced that he died peacefully in his sleep, but they did not publicly identify a specific cause.usatoday

His return to the stage

One of the most emotional moments of Gilbert’s final year came in June 2026, when he returned to perform with New Found Glory in Nashville.

He used a mobility scooter and played guitar during “Hit or Miss” and “My Friends Over You.” The performance was significant because his health problems had made it uncertain whether he would ever perform again.people

Gilbert said the concert allowed him to play in front of his daughter—something he had not expected to do again after his brain surgery.

The return also showed the relationship between Gilbert and New Found Glory’s audience. His career had been built through years of touring, and fans responded not simply to a famous musician returning to the stage, but to an artist whose music had accompanied them through their own difficult periods.

Chad Gilbert’s death and legacy

Gilbert died on September 20, 2026, surrounded by family and friends, according to the statement released by his wife and bandmates. He was survived by his wife, daughter, mother Jackie and brother Brian.usatoday+1

New Found Glory described his guitar playing, songwriting, humor and determination as forces that shaped the band for nearly three decades. The group’s statement emphasized his influence on the band’s music and its relationship with fans.people

His legacy can be understood in several ways:

• He helped build New Found Glory from a local Florida band into an internationally known pop-punk group.

• He contributed to songs that became enduring parts of the genre’s soundtrack.

• He connected underground hardcore energy with accessible melodic songwriting.

• He continued creating music and engaging with fans during a prolonged health crisis.

• He demonstrated that a musician’s influence can extend beyond chart positions or album sales.

Gilbert’s importance to pop-punk was not based only on technical guitar skill. It came from his ability to make songs feel immediate and personal. New Found Glory’s music was fast and loud, but its emotional themes were often simple: missing someone, trying again, holding on to friendships and finding reasons to keep moving.

That combination helped the band remain meaningful to multiple generations of listeners.

What to listen to first

Someone discovering Chad Gilbert’s work for the first time could begin with these New Found Glory releases:

1. Nothing Gold Can Stay for the band’s early DIY-influenced sound.

2. New Found Glory for the record that helped define its melodic pop-punk identity.

3. Sticks and Stones for the group’s breakthrough period.

4. Catalyst for a broader, more polished version of the band’s sound.

5. Listen Up! for a late-career release created while Gilbert was facing serious health challenges.

A practical starting playlist would include “Hit or Miss,” “My Friends Over You,” “Head on Collision” and “All Downhill From Here.” These songs show the balance between speed, melody and emotional directness that made Gilbert and New Found Glory influential.

FAQ

What was Chad Gilbert famous for?

Chad Gilbert was best known as the founding guitarist, backing vocalist and songwriter of New Found Glory. He also worked as a record producer and had earlier involvement with the hardcore band Shai Hulud.

How old was Chad Gilbert when he died?

Chad Gilbert was 45 years old when he died on September 20, 2026. He was born on March 9, 1981.usatoday+1

Who was Chad Gilbert’s wife?

Chad Gilbert’s wife was Lisa Cimorelli, a singer and member of Cimorelli. They married in 2020 and had a daughter together.stereogum+1

Did Chad Gilbert have children?

Yes. Gilbert and Lisa Cimorelli had a daughter named Lily, who was born in 2021.people+1

What type of cancer did Chad Gilbert have?

Gilbert’s illness was initially reported as metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare adrenal-gland cancer. In 2026, he said doctors had revised the diagnosis to stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma.usatoday+1

What were Chad Gilbert’s best-known songs?

Songs associated with Gilbert’s New Found Glory career include “My Friends Over You,” “Hit or Miss,” “Head on Collision” and “All Downhill From Here.” He was also involved in the band’s broader album catalog as a guitarist and songwriter.

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