One of the best covers of “The Dance” I’ve ever heard. Sadly, Brad Arnold, who was the frontman for 3 Doors Down, passed away on February 7th, after he first revealed last May that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and it was in stage 4 when he was diagnosed.
He was a man of faith, and leaned on that throughout his battle. The band was scheduled to go on tour last summer with Creed, Daughtry and others for the Summer of ’99 tour. But unfortunately, 3 Doors Down has had to pull out and cancel their upcoming tour dates.
Arnold’s passing was announced in a post on the band’s social media:
“With heavy hearts, we share the news that Brad Arnold, founder, lead singer, and songwriter of 3 Doors Down, passed away on Saturday, February 7th, at the age of 47. With his beloved wife Jennifer and his family by his side, he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in his sleep after his courageous battle with cancer.”
3 Doors Down got its start in Escatawpa, Mississippi in 1996 by Arnold along with Matt Roberts on lead guitar and Todd Harrell on bass. After passing out demo tapes to local radio stations, one in Mississippi began playing “Kryptonite” – which Arnold wrote during class while he was in high school at the age of 15 – and it quickly became the station’s most requested song.
The band would then go on to release their debut album in 2000, quickly becoming one of the most iconic rock bands of the new millennium with six #1 singles and multiple Grammy nominations. In their statement mourning his passing, 3 Doors Down paid tribute to Arnold not just as a singer but as a songwriter and – most importantly – a husband to his wife Jennifer:
“As a founding member, vocalist, and original drummer of 3 Doors Down, Brad helped redefine mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners.
Brad’s songwriting became a cultural touchstone for a generation, producing some of the most enduring hits of the 2000s, including the band’s breakout hit, “Kryptonite,” which he wrote in his math class when he was just 15 years old. 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 family is deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time and kindly asks that their privacy be respected. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.”
Just incredibly sad news and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during the very difficult time:
But even though he fronted a rock band, Brad loved country music, seeing as he grew up in Mississippi and was exposed to tons of different music from a young age. And during a performance at Carnegie Music Hall in February of 2014, he delivered an incredible rendition of Garth Brooks’ hit “The Dance,” which he called one of his favorite songs ever written:
“My singular favorite song that’s ever been written, always has been since I first heard it. It’s not even a rock and roll song, but we grew up in the South, grew up with country music, and rock and roll music, everything, and I have hand written lyrics to this song hanging in my house.
Not the original, but… it’s just a song that I have valued my whole life, because to me, it’s just a very, very true song, and I hope you like it too.”
Considering how many amazing songs he wrote, that’s some very high praise, and of course, “The Dance” was written by Tony Arata and included as the last track on his self-titled debut album, from which it was also released as the album’s fourth and final single in April 1990. It peaked #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, becoming Brooks’ signature song and one of his personal favorites, too.
In a 1994 Playboy interview, Garth was sure it was the “greatest success” he would ever have with a song, and added that it would “probably always be my favorite song”:
“Unless I am totally surprised, ‘The Dance’ will be the greatest success as a song we will ever do. I’ll go to my grave with The Dance. It’ll probably always be my favorite song.”
Sounds like that’s something they would have agreed on…
I love seeing artists from other genres talk about how so many different kinds of music inspired them, because I think a lot of us love so many different types of music, and Brad did an incredible job with this. He is a legendary rock musician, but he had that Southern twang and was so talented that he could truly sing anything, and I can’t get enough of his rendition.
Do yourself a favor and check it out:
