New Found Glory has addressed the band’s future following the death of guitarist Chad Gilbert. The band shared new details in a statement posted on Instagram.
The statement thanks fans for their support, confirms the cancellation of an upcoming festival appearance, and explains the band’s decision to move forward with previously planned shows at Walt Disney World’s Epcot in Gilbert’s honor.
“First off, we want to thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love and tribute posts for Chad these past few days,” New Found Glory said. “Seeing how deeply he touched so many lives means everything to us, and we know he would be so proud to see it.”
“To give ourselves time to process and grieve, we have made the decision to cancel our upcoming appearance at Aftershock Festival,” the band continued. “We rarely cancel shows but this felt needed.”
The band went on to explain why they chose to keep their Epcot dates on the calendar rather than cancel them as well.
“Anyone who knew Chad knew that he was a massive Disney fan,” they said. “Our shows at Epcot were dates he was so excited for and he was actively planning to be on stage with us there. He had already worked on the setlists with us and was practicing as much as possible to be ready. Because of how much he wanted to play these shows, taking the stage at Epcot feels like the right way to honor him, and what he would want us to do. Our plan from the beginning with him was to announce our Epcot sets ahead of time, so we feel it’s only appropriate to share them with you now as we prepare to play in his memory.”
The band closed the statement with a message dedicating the upcoming performances to Gilbert.
“Every note we play and every word you sing at Epcot is for Chad,” they said. “Thank you all for wrapping us in so much love, understanding, and support as we come together to honor his legacy.”
Gilbert’s death caps a long and difficult battle with cancer that stretched back several years, giving context to the outpouring of tributes the band referenced in its statement.
Gilbert died on the morning of September 20 at age 45, passing away peacefully in his sleep with his wife and mother by his side. His wife, Lisa Cimorelli, joined the band in confirming the news in a joint statement shared on social media.
The guitarist had been undergoing cancer treatment for several years, battling a rare adrenal gland cancer, pheochromocytoma, that ultimately spread to his lungs and spine. Just months before his death, he underwent surgery to remove three brain tumors as his condition progressed.
Gilbert had spoken publicly earlier this year about the severity of his diagnosis. He revealed he was facing stage four adrenocortical carcinoma after doctors discovered tumors in his brain. His openness about the illness helped fuel the wave of tributes and support the band has since received from fans and fellow musicians.
New Found Glory is expected to perform at Epcot as scheduled. The shows will be dedicated to Gilbert’s memory.
