New Found Glory Honors Late Guitarist Chad Gilbert During EPCOT Set
New Found Glory Celebrates Chad Gilbert's Life Onstage
Published
New Found Glory returned to the stage for the first time since guitarist and founding member Chad Gilbert's death ... and the band made sure he was still very much part of the show.
The group performed Monday at EPCOT, with lead singer Jordan Pundik stopping by to pay tribute to his longtime bandmate ... telling the crowd, "Even though he's not here in body, he is here in spirit tonight."
Jordan said Chad was still there "in these songs, in our hearts, on this stage" and remembered how fiercely he loved his family, the band and its fans.
He then urged the crowd to turn the show into a celebration of Chad's life -- jumping, singing along and having a good time in his honor.
Got to see New Found Glory at Epcot tonight. They had Chad’s Mickey guitar on display with white flowers. Never seen so much crying at Disney. pic.twitter.com/5x10JPAhBH @GarrettArt
According to NFG, Chad was a massive Disney fan ... he used to jam out on his Mickey Mouse guitar, which they displayed on stage during the show.
As we reported, Chad died Sept. 20 at 45.
The band said he passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by friends and family, with his wife and mother by his side ... after he underwent brain surgery in March to remove 3 tumors from his brain.
New Found Glory formed in 1997 and has released 11 studio albums over the years, with "My Friends Over You" among its best-known songs.
