Matt Roberts of Three Doors Down Has Died

Matt Roberts, former founding guitarist of Three Doors Down, died yesterday morning in a West Bend, Wisconsin hotel, according to his father, Darrell, who was staying in an adjoining room.  Roberts was 38.

The cause of death was not immediately known and an autopsy is being performed this morning.


Roberts founded Three Doors Down with lead singer Brad Arnold and bassist Todd Harrell in 1996.  Roberts left the group in 2012 because of health reasons.  The group is best known for their #3 smash "Kryptonite", which is featured above, nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards.  "Kryptonite" became the group's first of five #1 songs on the Mainstream Rock chart, staying there for nine weeks and also holding on to #1 for 11 weeks on the Modern Rock chart.  It is one of the biggest hits since 2000.






Roberts rehearsed yesterday morning for a "Rockin' for Heroes" benefit concert at a local restaurant.  Detectives woke up the elder Roberts up yesterday morning to tell him his son had died.  West Bend police received a call Saturday that a man was "either asleep or passed out in the hallway of his hotel," according to a statement from the department.





Three Doors Down burst on the scene with their debut album The Better Life, which has sold over six million copies and contained "Kryptonite" and "Loser", a Mainstream Rock hit.  The group continued that success with the album Away from the Sun, which has gone over four million in sales and generated the Top 10 hits "When I'm Gone" and "Here Without You".




Although it peaked at #96, the group is also known for the great song "Citizen/Soldier", from their self-titled album.







The song "It's Not My Time", also from that album, was a #1 Mainstream Rock hit that reached #17 overall.