Metal Anarchy

As previously reported, 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold recently passed away following a battle with cancer. Now, three of his bandmates, guitarist Chris Henderson, drummer Greg Upchurch, and bassist Justin Biltonen, have honored him with new tributes.

Henderson:

“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.”

Upchurch:

“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“

Biltonen

“What an adventure it was. See you in the next one, Love you brother❤️”