Brad Arnold, founding member and lead singer of 3 Doors Down, has died. He was 47.
“With heavy hearts, we share the news that Brad Arnold, founder, lead singer, and songwriter of 3 Doors Down, passed away on Saturday, February 7th, at the age of 47,” the band wrote in an Instagram post.
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Arnold died of kidney cancer.
“With his beloved wife Jennifer and his family by his side, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in his sleep after his courageous battle with cancer,” the post continued.
The singer was known for radio hits including “Kryptonite,” “Here Without You” and “When I’m Gone.” The band said Arnold wrote “Kryptonite” while in his high school algebra class.
“Brad’s songwriting became a cultural touchstone for a generation, producing some of the most enduring hits of the 2000s, including the band’s breakout hit, ‘Kryptonite,’ which he wrote in his math class when he was just 15 years old,” 3 Doors Down said in the post. “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.”
The band also played “Kryptonite,” known best for the lyrics “If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman?” at an event for President Donald Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
The band’s business manager, Angus Vail, said at the time that the members come from “conservative families” and “have very different political beliefs.”
The singer publicly announced his cancer diagnosis in May.
“I’ve been sick a couple of weeks ago and then went to the hospital and got checked out,” Arnold said at the time. “I actually got the diagnosis that I had clear cell renal carcinoma that had metastasized into my lungs. And that’s stage four, and that’s not real good.”
Arnold is survived by his wife.
