‘I Will Miss You Forever’ - 3 Doors Down Guitarist + Bandmates Pay Tribute to Late Singer Brad Arnold

The music world has been mourning the death of 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold since his passing was announced on Saturday (Feb. 7). Arnold's longest tenured 3 Doors Down bandmate, guitarist Chris Henderson, has now shared a heartfelt tribute to his longtime friend and bandmate on social media after taking some time to collect his thoughts.

What Chris Henderson Said About 3 Doors Down Singer Brad Arnold

Chris Henderson joined 3 Doors Down in 1998, two years after their formation but ahead of their breakout success on The Better Life album. Outside of Arnold, he was longest running member of 3 Doors Down.

Posting a photo of himself slapping Arnold on the back after a concert, Henderson delivered a heartfelt missive on his Instagram account detailing what it meant to have such a close association with Arnold throughout the years.  It reads as follows:

You can’t spend the amount of time I spent with one person without coming to know who he was in his entirety, down to his core. We all saw who he was on stage, and that was a huge part of him—built entirely on character. But I saw more than that. I saw all of it, and I will forever be gutted by this loss.

Rock and roll, and the entertainment business as a whole, often change people—for the worse. Entitlement, arrogance, selfishness—any number of things can take hold. It takes a rare kind of human being to ride that rollercoaster and not be altered by it.

So let me tell you who I knew, because it matters.

I don’t remember meeting Brad; I only remember knowing him. He became part of my life in a way that will remain forever, helping me see the world as it is—and as it should be. He knew God, and he knew Him well. He never wavered in that. He spoke of it plainly, stood up for it, and lived it.

In a world where he could have excused almost anything as “the lifestyle,” “just how it’s done,” or “being a rock star,” he chose integrity and honesty instead. If he was upset with you, you knew it—not through passive behavior, but because he told you directly.

I live a better life on this planet because of him. I will always remember him as one of the few truly real people I have ever known. Anyone I allow into my life from here on will be measured against that standard. Brad was who people should strive to be. He never betrayed his relationships—ever.

He was my friend. He was my brother. I am forever grateful for him. He was, and will always be, the person who made me better and showed me how to live.

I will miss you forever.

What 3 Doors Down's Greg Upchurch and Justin Biltonen Shared About Brad Arnold

On Monday (Feb. 9), drummer Greg Upchurch shared a lengthy message speaking about his longtime friendship and musical partnership with Brad Arnold while a member of 3 Doors Down.

Upchurch had joined the group in 2005 after the exit of Daniel Adair and appeared on their last three albums as a band.

Writing via his Facebook account and sharing a photo of the last time they saw each other, the drummer offered:

First I would like to offer Jenn and the entire Arnold family my most sincere condolences. I’ve seen so many great things said about Brad and that helps my broken heart.

Brad was extremely faithful to God, his wife, family and friends. No one was more humble or more grateful to be doing what we did for a living. On days off he loved to take the bus to national parks or monuments and spend time with each other like a family would.

He also made me a better person. He was someone who inspired me. To see just how genuine, giving, loving, honest and good a person can be. He walked the walk and he changed my life.

I’ve been in the band for 20 years. The first ten we were astounding drinking buddies. The last ten we were brothers in sobriety. That’s a strong bond to have with someone. We didn’t go to meetings together. We just talked about how much happier we were that we made that decision and how much more we loved and appreciated life. I also enjoyed the fact that he was a drummer and that we could communicate on that level.

He had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. What I will probably miss the most are after show dinners riding down the road at night. Especially after a good show. It was usually sushi with the occasional steak night. Just all of us together being happy, laughing and loving one another.

I’m still trying to process everything. Going through my stages of grief I guess. It’s just hard to express our relationship in words. I know the other guys in the band and crew know what I’m trying to say. He will be so incredibly and deeply missed.
This picture is from the last time I saw him. He and Jenn were at MD Anderson going through his treatment.

I love you Brad,
Greg

Bassist Justin Biltonen was the newest member of 3 Doors Down, joining in 2013. Biltonen kept his tribute brief and more visual in nature, offering a slideshow of images with Arnold on his Instagram with the caption, "What an adventure it was. See you in the next one, Love you brother" and a red heart emoji.

Guitarist Chet Roberts is the lone member of the band who has yet to publicly address the death of Brad Arnold.

The Death of Brad Arnold

The longtime 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold died Saturday (Feb. 7) at the age of 47. The vocalist has previously been diagnosed with stage 4 clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which is a type of kidney cancer.

READ MORE: Rockers Pay Tribute to Late 3 Doors Down Frontman Brad Arnold

In a message shared by the band on social media announcing his passing, it was noted, "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. Above all, he was a devoted husband to Jennifer and his kindness, humor and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. Those closest to him will remember not only his talent, but his warmth, humility, faith and deep love for his family and friends."

The singles "Kryptonite," "Loser" and "Duck and Run" from their debut album The Better Life helped push the band into the mainstream. The album peaked at No. 7 in the U.S. and has since been certified seven times platinum by the RIAA.

The band achieved their first No. 1 album in 2005 with Seventeen Days. 

As a member of 3 Doors Down, Arnold won an American Music Award, 5 BMI Pop Awards, 3 Billboard Music Awards and one Blockbuster Entertainment Award. The group scored four platinum records in the U.S. and yielded chart-topping hits in "Kryptonite," "Loser," "Duck and "Run," "When I'm Gone," "Here Without You" and "It's Not My Time."

See some of the rock and metal musicians that died in 2025 in the gallery below.