Photo Credit: Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down (Facebook)
3 Doors Down lead singer and founder Brad Arnold has passed away following a “courageous battle with cancer.” He was 47.
Brad Arnold, the lead singer and founder of the ‘90s rock band 3 Doors Down, has passed away following “his courageous battle with cancer,” the band and his family announced on social media. He was 47 years old.
Arnold had announced back in May that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma—a common type of kidney cancer. The diagnosis forced the band to cancel its summer tour.
“With his beloved wife Jennifer and his family by his side, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones,” wrote the band on their social accounts across Facebook, Instagram, and X. “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.”
“He was a devoted husband to Jennifer, and his kindness, humor, and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him,” the band’s statement read. “Those closest to him will remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith, and deep love for his family and friends.”
A Mississippi native, Arnold formed 3 Doors Down in 1996 alongside guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell. Harrell is no longer with the band, following a series of DUI charges and a vehicular homicide charge, while Roberts died in 2016 from a suspected drug overdose. Arnold struggled with alcoholism himself, but said he had been sober for a decade, telling Blabbermouth in January 2025 that the years without alcohol had been the best of his life.
3 Doors Down is best known for their 2000 hit, “Kryptonite,” from their first studio album, The Better Life. The track was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2001. The band revealed in their statement about his passing that Arnold wrote the song during math class when he was just 15.
