Rockers Pay Tribute to 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold After His Death

Tributes from across the rock world have poured in following the death of Brad Arnold, the frontman of 3 Doors Down, who died Saturday (Feb. 7) at age 47 after a battle with stage 4 kidney cancer.

Arnold’s death was confirmed earlier in the day by the rock group via social media, prompting messages of remembrance from fellow musicians who toured alongside him during the peak of post-grunge and hard rock’s commercial dominance in the early 2000s.

Among the first to publicly pay tribute was Brent Smith of Shinedown, who shared a video message recalling how 3 Doors Down helped his band early in their career.

“You guys were the first band that ever took us out on the road,” Smith said, referencing Shinedown’s opening slot for 3 Doors Down in 2003. “Brad was always kind, always encouraging, and always real.”

He captioned the post: “Thank you for the music. Thank you for the songs. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your friendship, and thank you for inspiring us all. May your light shine through all of time, and space forever.”

Alter Bridge wrote, “Thank you Brad, your friendship was one we will hold close forever. Until we meet again,” Sevendust added, “Rest now brother. Thank you for all you have given us.”

Creed offered a brief note of support — “Sending love to the Arnold and 3DD family” — as Black Stone Cherry remembered Arnold as an early champion, adding, “Brad was always such a top notch, class act to us… Even before we were anything at all — he supported us.”

Mark Tremonti also shared a personal message, calling Arnold “one of the kindest people I’ve ever had the privilege of calling my friend.”

“It is absolutely heartbreaking to realize that you’ll never get to perform or just have a laugh with a friend that you grew up with in the music industry,” Tremonti added.

David Draiman of Disturbed echoed those sentiments, writing: “Brad was always a gentleman, a stellar musician, and a good man. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved him.”

Producer Howard Benson — who has worked across rock radio staples for decades — also paid tribute, writing, “I will always cherish the time we spent together making music and talking about life. RIP Brad.”

Additional tributes came from artists including Seether, Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace, Staind, and more.

Arnold co-founded 3 Doors Down in Escatawpa, Mississippi, and rose to prominence as the voice behind the band’s breakout 2000 single “Kryptonite,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped propel the group’s debut album The Better Life to multi-platinum status. The band went on to score multiple top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 and a string of mainstream rock radio staples throughout the 2000s.

In recent years, Arnold had spoken openly about his cancer diagnosis, sharing updates with fans while continuing to express gratitude for the support he received from the music community.

This article was first published by Billboard U.S.