Formed in the small town of Escatawpa, near Biloxi, Mississippi, in the late 1990s, 3 Doors Down started out with just Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts and Todd Harrell playing gigs for friends, until guitarist Chris Henderson was added. Although the boys had a religious upbringing, rock was clearly in their blood and they enjoyed regional success initially playing gigs in the area and had their music played on local radio. The all-American group was eventually signed up by Universal, on their Republic Records label, and released their debut album (on a major label) The Better Life in 2000, which went platinum four times over. The band continued its success with 2002 follow-up Away from the Sun, which also went platinum several times over. The album included the hit single "When I'm Gone" and the band supported it with a tour in 2003/2004, releasing live EP Another 700 Miles to keep fans happy until their next album offering, Seventeeen Days Later in 2005. Again it saw platinum success, as did their next album after it, the self-titled 3 Doors Down in 2008. 3 Doors Down remained active in the 2010s, releasing Time of My Life in 2011 and Us and the Night in 2016. In the meantime, longtime bassist Todd Harrell parted ways with the band in 2013 and guitarist Matt Roberts passed away in 2016 from a drug overdose. Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, 3 Doors Down focused on live performances and anniversary tours celebrating their early albums, while also occasionally releasing singles and compilations. In May 2025, Brad Arnold publicly revealed a diagnosis of stage 4 clear-cell kidney cancer. This led to the cancellation of planned tour dates. On February 7, 2026, Brad Arnold passed away at the age of 47.
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