Brad Arnold, a founding member and the lead singer of the band 3 Doors Down, has died at 47 following a battle with kidney cancer.
The Mississippi rockers announced that Arnold died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday “with his beloved wife, Jennifer and his family by his side.”
The frontman told first fans in May that he was battling a form of kidney cancer known as clear cell renal carcinoma. He said he’d gone to the hospital after feeling ill and learned the cancer had metastasized to his lungs, progressing to a stage 4 diagnosis.
“I have no fear, I’m really sincerely not scared of it at all,” he said while requesting fans send their prayers.
Arnold was among the founders of 3 Doors Down in 1996. The group enjoyed commercial success in the late ’90s and early 2000s with singles such as “Loser,” “Duck and Run” and “Kryptonite, which the band said he wrote in his math class when he was 15 years old.
“As a founding member, vocalist and original member of 3 Doors Down, Brad helped define mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners,” the band said in its homage to Arnold.
“His music reverberated far beyond the stage, creating moments of connection, joy, faith and shared experiences that will live on long after the stages he performed on,” they continued.
His death was also mourned on Instagram by artists including Creed, Godsmack, Daughtry and Sevendust.
“Rest now brother,” Sevendust posted on Instagram. “Thank You for all you have given us.”
Arnold’s death marks the second among the founding members of 3 Doors Down, following guitarist Matt Roberts’ overdose on prescription drugs in 2016.
