Music veteran undergoes brain surgery following shock Nashville concert scare

Chad Gilbert, the founding guitarist and primary songwriter for New Found Glory, has successfully undergone emergency surgery to remove three tumours from his brain.

The forty-five-year-old musician revealed the harrowing ordeal in a recent social media update, explaining that the health crisis began during a performance in Nashville last month.

Gilbert first noticed a loss of control in his left hand while on stage, a symptom that quickly escalated over the following days into significant leg weakness and several falls.

After being admitted to the emergency room, a CT scan confirmed the presence of three new tumours, leading to an immediate surgical intervention on 27 February 2026.

The operation was reportedly a success, with Gilbert regaining function in his left hand almost instantly.

Reflecting on the diagnosis, he quoted his radiation oncologist’s encouraging outlook: “This is not a fatal blow and not the end of your story, just the beginning of a new chapter.”

While Gilbert admitted that his recovery has been "bumpy at times," he assured fans that he is feeling much better and getting stronger by the day.

This latest challenge follows a lengthy battle with metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare form of adrenal gland cancer that was first diagnosed in 2021 after his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, found him unresponsive in bed.

Despite having previously undergone major surgeries on his liver, spine, and lungs, Gilbert remains optimistic about his future in the music industry.

He thanked his peers and fans for their overwhelming support during this challenging period. "I am looking forward to sharing more music and fun with you as we come out of this," he concluded.

New Found Glory recently released their twelfth studio album, Listen Up!, which Gilbert continues to promote between treatments.