Paramore singer Hayley Williams shared her first statement after the passing of her ex-husband and New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, who died after a five-year battle with cancer at the age of 45.
Williams wrote: “Have not known what to say or if it’s appropriate. But I feel sure now that I want to [because] life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite.”
“Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot. He introduced me to people that continue to shape my life in beautiful ways and to music and culture that has made my life a lot richer.”
“There isn’t much that hasn’t already been said about what he contributed to the musical world a lot of us grew up in. His influence and attitude guided the genre forward. His passion for fostering the community was inspiring and sticks with me.”
“I will forever be grateful that from him I gained a deeper understanding and a reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore. Sending my love and sympathies to his family, NFG fam and all his friends.”
The tribute arrived days after Gilbert’s death was confirmed, and it came as the pop-punk scene began to process the loss of a musician who helped shape the genre for nearly three decades. Since then, more details about his illness, his final days, and the response from his peers have continued to surface.
Gilbert first announced in 2021 that he had liver cancer, and earlier this year, in March, he said the cancer had progressed to brain cancer. He kept working through treatment, and in April he confirmed his diagnosis had changed from metastatic pheochromocytoma to stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma.
New Found Glory said in a statement that Gilbert died “peacefully in his sleep” on the morning of September 20, surrounded by friends and family, with his wife and mother by his side. The band credited his guitar playing, songwriting, humor and drive with shaping New Found Glory for close to three decades.
Tributes from across the scene followed the announcement. Peers remembered him as “the most positive and creative force in any room he walked into,” a description that echoed Williams’ own words about his influence on the community around him.
Gilbert was first married to Eisley vocalist Sherri DuPree in 2007, and he and Williams began their relationship in 2008 before marrying in 2016 and divorcing in 2017. At the time of his death, he was married to Lisa Cimorelli, who signed the announcement alongside bandmates Jordan, Ian, Cyrus and Dan.
Tje marriage between Gilbert and Williams was brief and did not appear to end altogether amicably, which makes her public statement all the more notable. In his final months, Gilbert told Rolling Stone he felt “very, very lucky,” even as doctors warned he might never tour normally again.
