Rock music world heartbroken by 5 deaths in a week. Here’s what we know

It has been a brutal week for the rock music world, with at least five popular performers dying.It continues a sad trend as nearly 100 rock music singers have died this year. You can see the full list of those we lost in 2026 here. The following is a look back at those who passed away over the past week:Angry Anderson Gary “Angry” Anderson, the frontman for Rose Tattoo, died on Sept. 21.He was 79.The band announced his death on social media. “It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson on the eve of Monday 21 September 2026, surrounded by his loved ones here in Australia,” the statement read. “Angry was a devoted father, and much-loved member of his friends, bandmates and the wider music and entertainment community. His loss will be deeply felt by all those who knew and loved him both here in Australia and overseas. “The family and band members are asking for privacy at this difficult time and will not be giving interviews,” the statement continued. “We kindly ask that their wishes are respected as they come to terms with this devastating loss and take time they need to grieve. We thank everyone for their prayers and messages of love and continued support. With love, The Anderson Family and Rose Tattoo Band. Stay young, grow strong.”Anderson recently revealed that he suffered a heart attack in August during Rose Tattoo’s European tour. According to Rolling Stone, Anderson was hospitalized in Germany, and the remainder of Rose Tattoo’s 50th-anniversary tour was called off. The band rose to fame through the 1970s and into the 1980s with a number of hits including “Bad Boy for Love,” Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw” and “We Can’t Be Beaten.”Rolling Stone called Rose Tattoo “the quintessential Aussie pub rock band.” Anderson also had a successful solo run, delivering the hit single “Suddenly,” in 1987. He also had a career as an actor and appeared in several films, including “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” in 1985.Chad Gilbert Gilbert, the beloved rock musician and founding member of the band New Found Glory, died on Sept. 20.Gilbert, 45, had been bravely battling cancer. His wife, Lisa Cimorelli, shared the news of his passing.“On the morning of September 20th, Chad Eerett Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep,” Cimorelli wrote on Instagram. “He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished. We are devastated and shocked by how quickly he left us, yet so grateful for how peacefully and smoothly he went. The amount of visitors that crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice is testament to how beloved and cherished Chad was and always will be. He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, his daughter, Lily, his mother, Jackie, and his brother, Brian.“Chad’s guitar playing, songwriting, humor and relentless drive helped shape New Found Glory for nearly three decades,” the statement continued. “Through more than a dozen albums, endless tours around the world, and more accolades than we ever could have imagined, Chad challenged all of us to grow as musicians, performers, and human beings. While we are devastated to lose him, we are so grateful for the incredible life he lived, the memories we shared, and the brotherhood we had. His influence will always be part of New Found Glory and his spirit will be felt on every stage we stand on, with every note we play. “Rest in peace, Chad. We love you forever Lisa, Jordan, Ian, Cyrus and Dan.”Gilbert revealed earlier this year in an interview with Rolling Stone that he had surgery to remove three brain tumors. He said he struggled through a show in February after the band released its 12th album, “Listen Up!” “The show was amazing, but something wasn’t right,” Gilbert told Rolling Stone. “That night I came home and I was walking up the steps, I fell forward onto the ground,” he said. Gilbert said a brain and spine radiologist told his doctor to get him to an emergency room “right now.”“The next morning they had found three new tumors,” his wife, Lisa Cimorelli, told Rolling Stone. “One of them was the size of a walnut and was pressing on the back right side of his brain, which was causing the loss of movement on the left side.”Gilbert told the outlet, “I feel very, very lucky that I could sit here and do this interview.”He said that doctors removed one of the three tumors, and he underwent 10 rounds of chemotherapy to shrink the other two. Rolling Stone reported that Gilbert said the plan was to attack the other two tumors with immunotherapy. “It felt good to know that there’s still a battle to be going on and that I can recover from this and grow stronger from this,” Gilbert said. “My hope is to really get my energy and strength back. I don’t want to lay in bed all day. I want to be able to get up and do my thing.”Gilbert was diagnosed with metastatic pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer of the adrenal gland, in 2021. He announced in August 2025 that he was resuming treatments to battle the cancer. “From rock to radiation — it’s scary, it sucks, and I wish it weren’t a part of my life,” he wrote. “But truthfully, through the hardships come new outlooks, gratitude, positivity, and a freeing new way to see life. I’m thankful that I’m still in the fight and look forward to putting this enemy to rest for good.“I encourage everyone going through emotional struggles to find joy in the simple things and the fun moments you might not have experienced without your struggle,” he continued. “We learn from it all. Give yourself a break. Thank you for all the support and love you send my way. Most people aren’t lucky enough to have fans who reach out with kind messages. I might not reply to them all, but I don’t take any of them for granted. I hope your day is awesome!”Gilbert said he was resuming the treatment after doctors found “a small spot in my back,” according to People Magazine. The outlet said at the time the cancer had spread to Gilbert’s spine and lungs.Neil HendersonHenderson, best known as the former guitarist for the Bay City Rollers, died on Sept. 24.He was 73. Henderson also played in the band, Middle of the Road featuring Sally Carr, and it shared the news of his death on Facebook.“We are sorry to have to announce the death of Neil Henderson, our original lead guitarist, songwriter and friend,” the post read. “Neil had been ill for some time and was fighting to recover from a stroke a few years ago. We wish to send our sincere condolences to Heather and Shona, his two daughters, and all his family and friends. His memory will live on with all who had the pleasure of sharing the stage with him as will his music.”Fans were quick to respond with love.“Very sad news,” John Mackie wrote. “I have happy memories of Neil, first recording in his studio, Pipedream, in Paisley, and later in Germany with Middle of the Road. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”“My deepest condolences to the family and the band,” Dani Pasternok replied. “Rest in peace, Neal Rock the heavens up there together with my dad and so many others.”“So sorry to hear this Sally,” Sue Smith wrote. “I knew he’d been ill for a while. Give my condolences to his family. RIP Neil.”Henderson was a member of the Scottish pop-rock group that rose to fame in the 1970s and gained teen-idol status. Ultimate Classic Rock said he played on the band’s 1971 hit “Keep on Dancing.” He left the band in 1972 however before it went on to find international success. “Just heard the news about Neil Henderson, one of the original Bay City Rollers,” former Bay City Rollers guitarist Stuart Woody Wood wrote on Facebook. “Though I never met him personally Alan spoke very highly of him. Sincere condolences to all his family and friends.”Carvin Jones Jones, the beloved rock and blues guitarist known as the “King of Strings,” died on Sept. 20 after a battle with cancer. He was 60. His family announced his passing in a statement. “Carvin devoted his life to music,” the statement said. “His sound was rooted in East Texas, where blues, gospel, R&B, and rock and roll intersected. He first discovered the blues through the B.B. King records his grandfather played at home and began playing at seven, when his grandmother bought him his first guitar. “Carvin loved being onstage because he loved being with people,” the statement continued. “He would leave the stage to play in the crowd, turning every show into something shared. That same generosity shaped his life offstage. Basketball was Carvin’s other great love, and he sponsored and coached youth teams. During the pandemic, he created Carvin Cares, using his own money to deliver groceries to elderly patients throughout Phoenix.”The family thanked everyone for their generosity during the final months of his life. Jones, who had been battling prostate cancer, shared a GoFundMe on his Facebook page along with a photo of himself in the hospital, just less than a week before his death. “As you can see I’m back in the hospital … and the doctor has pulled the plug on all my tours and gigging for the time being until I can get some internal things under control and strength back in my legs,” he wrote. “Many of you know I have had to use a wheelchair recently and I’m going to need a lot of therapy to get my legs back under me. As much as I hate to say it, I’m forced to ask for all y’alls help again. Between the current hospital stay and the expected rehab facility stay I’m gonna be down for a while working hard to get back on track and I need y’all.”Jones told his fans in the statement how much he appreciated them and wrote, “I seriously would not be here without you all.”Jones became known as the “King of Strings” for his energy-filled live performances. He toured internationally and performed alongside the likes of B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Santana and Joe Cocker. He was voted one of the 50 greatest blues guitarists of all time in a poll hosted by Guitarist Magazine, according to his site. “So sad to hear about the passing of my friend Carvin Jones,” Dustin Holindrake wrote on Facebook. “He was an incredible guitar player, a hell of a basketball player but most importantly he was a good man. He inspired me during COVID when he would bring groceries to older people who needed help, he was always positive and brought and infectious smile everywhere he went. Rest in peace my friend, thank you for the positive impact you made on the world.”“I can’t believe I’m making this post,” the Still Livin’ the Blues account on Facebook wrote. “He was both a great man and an incredible musician. He will be missed.”Chuck Varga Varga, best known as “The Sexecutioner” and as a founding member of GWAR, died on Sept. 26.He was 68.GWAR bassist Casey Orr shared the news of Varga’s death with a post on Facebook.“Chuck Varga has left this earthly realm,” the post read. “He passed peacefully, his beloved wife Bambi holding his hand. He was one of a kind. As an artist, as a performer; as a scholar and a gentleman. I’m better for having known him and the world is lesser for his leaving. He is most likely being welcomed into Valhalla right now by Brockie and Smooty and all who went before. Raise your glass and tell his tales. Legends never die. Hail Varga! Hail Sexecutioner!”Varga was a member of GWAR through 2007 and “provided vocals, created special effects, sculpted set pieces and costumes, and illustrated band artwork.” The site said he was on five WAR albums, including the band’s “Scumdogs of the Universe” release in 1990.GWAR first shared the news of Varga’s cancer battle in a statement in April.“The GWAR family is coming together to support one of their own,” the statement said. “Chuck Varga, known to fans as The Sexecutioner and one of the founding members of GWAR, is currently battling cancer. In response, the band and their extended community have launched a nationwide blood donation campaign in his honor. “Fans are encouraged to find a blood bank near them and either register as donors or give blood in Chuck’s name,” the statement continued. “As a thank you, participants will receive a free exclusive T-shirt designed by Chuck himself. This campaign gives the GWAR faithful a way to show up in a real and meaningful way, helping save lives while honoring a character and creator who was given so much to the band’s world.”GWAR was formed in 1984 and is still active, having released 15 albums. The band’s first album, “Hell-O,” was released in 1988, and its last, “The New Dark Ages,” came in 2022.