Tragedy has stalked 3 Doors Down, one of the most successful rock bands of the ’00s, yet again. Lead singer and original drummer Brad Arnold, the last original member of what began as a trio, died Saturday of kidney cancer at age 47.
Original guitarist Matt Roberts, who left the band in 2012, died in 2016 of a prescription drug overdose. Founding bassist Todd Harrell was kicked out of the band in 2013 after he was convicted of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of Xanax and oxycodone. He spent two years in prison, then drew a 10-year sentence in 2018 for possession of firearms by a felon.
The band formed in coastal Mississippi in 1996 and hit it big in 2000 with their debut single, “Kryptonite,” a song Arnold wrote when he was sitting in his high school math class. They were playing it live several years before they recorded it; by then Arnold had moved out from behind the drum kit to become frontman. It reached No. 3 on the Hot 100
Unlike a lot of post-grunge bands, they weren’t one-hit wonders. Five of their singles topped the Mainstream Rock chart, and all their albums made the top 20. “When I’m Gone,” off their second album, hit No. 4 on the Hot 100. Arnold wrote it not anticipating his fate, but because he missed his girlfriend during their heavy touring schedule.
