If you're a fan of the early 2000s rock, chances are you're familiar with 3 Doors Down. The Mississippi band, which originally consisted of Brad Arnold, Matt Roberts, and Todd Harrell, rose to fame with their debut single "Kryptonite" and its accompanying debut album, The Better Life. The six times-platinum-certified album was one of the highest-selling records of the year. Shortly after, they recaptured the success with 2002's Away From the Sun, which spawns chart-topping singles like "Here Without You" and "When I'm Gone."
With that being said, the glory days of the band are long behind. It's been a while since the last time we heard from the boys, and fans are wondering if they're hanging up the microphone for good. Are they retiring? What happened to them after their original guitarist passed away? To sum it up, here's what happened to 3 Doors Down.
6 The Death Of Matt Roberts
Matt Roberts originally departed 3 Doors Down in 2012 due to his declining health. Chet Roberts, the band's old guitar tech, took over the role. He told fans that he performed "nearly 300 dates each year," which accumulated to his alarming health situation. A year later, the original guitarist was pronounced dead from a prescription drug overdose at the age of 38. As reported by CNN, Matt was gearing up for a veteran fundraising concert in Wisconsin hours before the passing took place.
“I was wakened at 8:50 this morning by some detectives beating on my door. It’s always scary as a parent, they were in suits and that’s when they told me. They asked me if Matt Roberts was your son, I said yes, and they said, ‘we have bad news to tell you, Matt deceased last night,'” Matt’s father Darrell Roberts told the publication.
5 The Polarizing Performance At Donald Trump's Presidential Inauguration Concert
In 2017, 3 Doors Down was thrown under the bus for performing at the inauguration concert of President Donald Trump, and fans didn't take it kindly. In fact, it wasn't the first time the boys were on the conservative radar, as they had a gig during George W. Bush's inauguration too.
"You know, they’re really good guys, but they have very different political beliefs. Because they played both Bush’s inaugurations, they’ve obviously been on the conservative radar," Angus Vail, the band's business manager, broke his silence on the controversial performance to Vice.
4 3 Doors Down Bass Guitarist Fired
A year after Matt's departure, 3 Doors Down announced that they'd fired their original bass guitarist, Todd Harrell, after being charged with vehicular homicide to two years' incarceration and six years' probation. He reportedly drove a pick-up truck under the influence of prescription meds on a highway, killing 47-year-old Paul Shoulders Jr. in the process.
"I never intentionally hurt anybody," Harrell said. "This was a terrible accident, and I'm sorry for you guys' loss. I hope you guys can forgive me for what I did in that thing."
3 Todd Harrell Got Sentenced Again To 10 Years In Prison
The 2012 second-offense DUI wasn't the only legal woe the former bassist had faced in recent years. In 2018, Jackson County Court Judge Robert Krebs sentenced Todd to ten years in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon. As reported by Billboard, authorities noticed guns and drugs in Todd's residence after her wife told deputies that their argument turned physical one day in June.
2 3 Doors Down Went 5 Years Without Releasing Music
After a series of drastic changes in the bands' membership and the tragic death of the original founder, 3 Doors Down decided to take some time off. Although they still did perform for a few gigs, they hadn't released any new music since 2016's Us and the Night. They released their first song in almost five years in 2020 titled "Wicked Man." It's a simple song made by guitar, cello, and vocals.
"It kind of makes you wanna get up and dance, but it’s a song that you can listen to and be, like, ‘Damn, man. I get what he’s saying right there,'" frontman Brad Arnold told a Detroit radio station. "So I’m excited for people to hear it. I think we’re just gonna put it out."
1 What's Next For 3 Doors Down?
So, what's next for the 3 Doors Down boys? After a messy 2010s, they're surely hoping for a better 2020s. In addition to the new single, they expanded their debut album, The Better Life, for its 20th anniversary this year with a deluxe edition, containing several additional tracks and "The Escatawpa Sessions." Could this mark a new era of the band and a sign of an upcoming new album? We shall see!