Hayley Williams issues statement after former husband Chad Gilbert's death
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams posted an Instagram message honoring her ex-husband, New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, who died at 45 following a cancer battle.
Hayley Williams posted an Instagram Story on Wednesday to acknowledge the death of Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist of New Found Glory, who died peacefully in his sleep at age 45 after battling cancer. In her message, Williams said she was unsure how to speak about the loss but felt compelled to do so because "life is made of the paths we cross and the reasons we cross them are infinite."
"Chad is indeed a legend in the scene and my time connected to him taught me a lot," she wrote, adding that he introduced her to people who continue to influence her life and to music and culture that enriched it. Williams said his contributions to the musical community were widely recognized and that his passion for fostering that community left a lasting impression.
She concluded by sending love and condolences to Gilbert’s family, friends, and his New Found Glory bandmates Jordan Pundik, Cyrus Bolooki and Ian Grushka.
Gilbert’s band and his wife, musician Lisa Cimorelli, announced his death on Sunday, noting that he was surrounded by friends and family and passed away with his wife and mother at his side, as he had wished.