Chad Gilbert, the lead guitarist and founding member of the pop-punk band New Found Glory, died on September 20, 2026, at the age of 45. He passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by family, after a long battle with cancer. Gilbert was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021 and later developed brain tumors. He was known for his work with New Found Glory, which he co-founded in high school, and for producing albums for other bands. He is survived by his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, and his daughter, Lily.
We’ll perform a deep-dive analysis of all sources and publicly available external materials, then prepare a structured timeline of events, an in-depth report explaining the background and context, and multiple perspectives.