New Found Glory Guitarist Was 45

The rock world is in mourning.

Chad Gilbert—lead guitarist and co-founder of the punk rock band New Found Glory—has died following a battle with cancer, his bandmates and wife Lisa Cimorelli announced Sept. 20. He was 45.

“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Everett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” New Found Glory and Cimorelli wrote in a joint Instagram statement Sept. 20. “He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished.”

“We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went,” the message continued. “The amount of visitors that crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice is a testament to how beloved and cherished Chad was, and always will be.”

While Gilbert—who shared daughter Lily, 5, with Cimorelli—was remembered as a “legendary musician,” his loved ones shared that his “favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father.”

As they emphasized, “His biggest dreams came true.”