Paramore’s Hayley Williams pays tribute to late ex-husband Chad Gilbert after death at 45
Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams has broken her silence to honor the life and musical legacy of her former husband, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 45 following a prolonged battle with cancer.
Taking to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, the 37-year-old frontwoman shared an emotional, candid reflection addressing their shared history and Gilbert’s profound imprint on the alternative rock world.
“Have not known what to say or if it’s appropriate,” Williams began. “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.”
She continued: “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 life a lot richer.”
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Gilbert, who co-founded the seminal pop-punk outfit New Found Glory in 1997 after earlier fronting hardcore band Shai Hulud, died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Sept. 20 in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones, including his wife Lisa Cimorelli and his mother Jackie.
The musician had been courageously battling cancer since December 2021, when he was first diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, a rare form of adrenal cancer that was later revised to stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma.
Williams and Gilbert were a prominent couple across the alternative scene for nearly a decade, beginning their relationship in 2008 before tying the knot in February 2016. The pair later announced their separation in July 2017, finalizing their divorce by the end of that year.
Reflecting on his stature within the music community, Williams noted that Gilbert's artistic contributions reached far beyond his own catalog.
“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,” Williams wrote.
“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 reverence for the community and the culture of hardcore,” she concluded.
“Sending love and my sympathies to his family, NFG fam, and all his friends.”
Gilbert's passing prompted an outpouring of grief from across the rock and pop-punk community, with bandmates and peers praising his resilience and warmth after he spent his final months returning to the stage, performing from a scooter in Nashville alongside his band just months after undergoing emergency brain surgery. He is survived by his wife Lisa and their young daughter, Lily.
Phoebe Tonks