Brad Arnold, the lead singer of 3 Doors Down, announced that the American rock band’s summer tour would be canceled for a heartbreaking reason — he has been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer that has spread to his lungs.
Arnold broke the news in a video to his fans Wednesday, telling them that the diagnosis was “not real good,” but thanks to his faith in God he has “no fear. I really, sincerely am not scared of it at all.”
The 46-year-old singer said he was sick a few weeks ago and was hospitalized. Doctors learned he had clear cell renal cell carcinoma that had metastasized to his lungs.
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of kidney cancer and may be treated through immunotherapy and surgery to remove tumors, according to the National Cancer Institute. The five-year survival rate for patients is 50% to 69%. When tumors are large or have spread to other parts of the body, treatment is more challenging, and the five-year survival rate falls to about 10%.
Arnold said the band is sorry they were forced to cancel their summer tour, which was set to kick off on May 15 at Daytona Beach and travel across America, co-headlining with Creed for select shows. Tour information on the 3 Doors Down website has been removed and replaced with Arnold’s video.
Creed singer Scott Stapp shared his support for the singer in the Instagram comments section of the video.
“If anyone has the FAITH and STRENGTH to face this fight, it’s YOU brother,” he wrote. “I think I can speak for all of us, we are lifting you up in prayer right now believing without doubt for your total healing!”
The post garnered thousands of comments in the first few hours, with fans and other musicians sharing their love and prayers for Arnold.
“May God bless you brother. Showing us how to conquer the darkness with light,” wrote American singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw.
In the caption, Arnold wrote that the band’s 2008 hit “It’s Not My Time” has become a personal anthem and asked for the support of his “prayer warriors,” saying he has the best fans in the world.
“I’d love for you to lift me up in prayer every chance you get,” he said in the video.
3 Doors Down began in 1996 as a three-piece band out of Escatawpa, Miss., with Arnold, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell. Two years later, Chris Henderson joined on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.
The group rose to fame in 2000 with their debut album, “The Better Life,” featuring hit single “Kryptonite,” which became a defining rock song of the early 2000s and has more than a billion streams on Spotify. They continued to grow their fan base with subsequent album releases “Away From the Sun” in 2002 and “Seventeen Days” in 2005.
The band’s lineup has undergone several changes over the years. Current members are Arnold, Henderson, guitarist Chet Roberts, drummer Greg Upchurch and bassist Justin Biltonen.
Roberts, the band’s founding guitarist, left the band in 2012 and died from an overdose of prescription pills in 2016.