Brad Arnold, the 47-year-old cofounder and lead singer of the Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down, passed away on Saturday, nine months after revealing his diagnosis of kidney cancer.
The band announced Arnold’s death in a social media post, highlighting his significant contribution to music. They said he “helped redefine mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting.”
In May 2025, Arnold shared the difficult news that the band would be canceling its summer tour due to his battle with advanced-stage kidney cancer, which had spread to his lungs. Reflecting on his diagnosis, he said, “That’s not real good. But you know what? We serve a mighty God, and He can overcome anything. So I have no fear. I really sincerely am not scared of it at all.” He also asked fans, “I’d love for you to lift me up in prayer every chance you get.”
Arnold was also candid about his past struggles with alcoholism. He revealed that he started drinking in his teens, an addiction intensified by the pressures of touring as a 20-year-old. “It’s just a lot to hand a 20 year old,” he told a Christian podcaster. He credited his faith for his sobriety and was known for openly proclaiming his beliefs on stage.
Born in Escatawpa, Mississippi, in September 1978, Arnold formed 3 Doors Down in the mid-1990s with friends Todd Harrell and Matt Roberts. As a 15-year-old sitting in algebra class, he wrote the song “Kryptonite,” drumming the beat on his desk. “I used to be our drummer,” Arnold once explained to the lead vocalist of the band Candlebox. “I only became the singer because we didn’t have a singer. That beat just came from just sitting on a desk. I probably wrote that song in the length of time that it took me to just write it down. It really was just one of those that kind of fell out of the sky.”
“Kryptonite” became the band’s breakout hit in 2000 and earned a Grammy nomination. Their debut album, “The Better Life,” sold over 6 million copies, and the 2005 album “Seventeen Days” debuted at No. 1 on the national charts.
A 2005 review of a Los Angeles performance noted Arnold’s “heartland drawl” and signature sleeveless denim shirt, describing him as “less punk than Springsteen.”
3 Doors Down released their final album, “Us And The Night,” in 2016. The following year, the band performed at the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Brad Arnold is survived by his wife, Jennifer.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-02-07/brad-arnold-dead-singer-3-doors-down