When Chad Gilbert took the stage in Nashville on February 20, he knew within minutes something was seriously wrong. The guitarist for US punk band New Found Glory was struggling to control his left hand. Over the following days, his left leg began weakening, causing him to stumble and fall at times.
A CT scan on February 23 revealed why: three new tumours had developed in his brain. By February 27, Gilbert had undergone successful surgery to remove them. The recovery was swift enough that he regained function of his left hand immediately.
Gilbert's radiation oncologist offered him a measured perspective on the outcome. "This is not a fatal blow and not the end of your story," the doctor told him, "just the beginning of a new chapter." The guitarist shared this framing with fans via Instagram, acknowledging that recovery has been uneven. "My recovery has been bumpy at times but I'm feeling much better now and getting stronger by the day," he wrote.
This latest diagnosis represents the third major health crisis for the 45-year-old musician in five years. In December 2021, Gilbert was found unresponsive at his home and diagnosed with metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare form of adrenal gland cancer. The disease spread to his spine and lungs; he underwent intense chemotherapy and had half his liver, his gallbladder, and one adrenal gland removed. When the cancer appeared to have cleared in 2022, doctors discovered it had returned in his spine within months, requiring further surgery. By 2023, Gilbert announced another round of treatment targeting tumours in his lungs and back.
Last August, after a period of relative stability, Gilbert revealed he had resumed radiation treatments after doctors found what he described as "a small spot in my back." The latest brain tumours suggest the cancer remains an unpredictable, persistent threat.
For a working musician, the timing was particularly difficult. New Found Glory had just released their new album Listen Up on February 20, the very day Gilbert performed in Nashville and first noticed symptoms. The band, formed in Florida in 1997, had been building momentum for their first full-length studio album in six years. Gilbert had been crafting songs during his recovery, with bandmates travelling to his Nashville-area home to finish the creative work together.
Gilbert's openness about his illness has set him apart in rock music. Rather than retreating from public view, he has used his platform to share updates, express gratitude to his medical team and family, and reflect on perspective gained through hardship. In a recent social media post, he wrote: "From rock to radiation, it's scary, it sucks, and I wish it wasn't a part of my life. But truthfully, through the hardships come new outlooks, gratitude, positivity, and a freeing new way to see life."
The musician says he is unable to use his phone much yet and has many messages to catch up on, but remains focused forward. "More stories to come when my brain is working well again," he promised fans, and added that he is "looking forward to sharing more music and fun with you as we come out of this."
Gilbert's wife, Lisa Cimorelli, a musician herself, and their four-year-old daughter have been central to his recovery. He expressed gratitude specifically to them and to everyone who checked in during what he called "this lengthy and challenging journey." Fellow musicians responded swiftly, with members of Dashboard Confessional and other bands offering public messages of support.