Adam Wade Gontier (born May 25, 1978) is a Canadian musician who is the co-lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Three Days Grace. He is also known for his work in Saint Asonia. He co-founded Three Days Grace in 1992, recording four albums with them before parting ways in 2013 and eventually returning in 2024. In addition to his work with Three Days Grace and Saint Asonia, he has been involved in collaborations with other bands including Art of Dying, Apocalyptica, Breaking Benjamin, Skillet, and Thousand Foot Krutch.
Early life
Gontier was born in Peterborough, Ontario on May 25, 1978. He was raised in Markham, Ontario. Shortly after his parents divorced, he moved back to the Peterborough area, where he initially attended Adam Scott Collegiate and Vocational Institute. Gontier's mother is a professional singer/pianist, and was an influence to him as a musician.
Gontier started playing guitar at the age of 12 and was taught by his cousin Cale's brother Josh. Gontier has stated that he uses music "as an outlet and release for emotions and feelings." Alice in Chains, started out as "Groundswell" in Norwood, Ontario, in 1992, while attending high school. and their debut self-titled studio album was released in 2003. Their second studio album, One-X, was released in 2006, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200. Their third studio album, Life Starts Now, was released in 2009 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, thus becoming the band's highest-charting album in the US to date. In 2012, the band released their fourth studio album, Transit of Venus and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.
thumb|upright|Gontier performing live with Three Days Grace in 2006
On January 9, 2013, Gontier resigned from Three Days Grace. He left as the band was about to embark on a co-headlining tour. On April 19, 2023, Gontier reunited with Three Days Grace to perform "Never Too Late" and "Riot", before reuniting with them a second time for their Nashville, Tennessee concert on October 10, 2023. The group released their eighth studio album and Gontier's first since rejoining the band, Alienation, on August 22, 2025.
2012–2014: Solo career
Gontier joined singer and songwriter Martin Sexton on the road during his 2012 "Fall Like Rain" tour, providing opening support as a solo artist. He also joined Citizen Cope for a few shows as a solo act. Gontier continued to do shows and concerts as a solo artist. Several songs have been released, but not as singles. In early March 2013, Gontier publicly announced and launched his Adam Gontier Solo Live Tour. They soon garnered the interest of RCA Records. On May 15, 2015, the group released their debut single "Better Place". The band released their debut self-titled studio album on July 31, 2015. In 2022, the group released two EPs, Introvert and Extrovert, before releasing both EPs physically as Introvert/Extrovert with bonus tracks on December 9, 2022. He has also contributed to a number of other albums. He contributed vocals and musical arrangement on "I Don't Care" on Apocalyptica's album, Worlds Collide in 2007. In 2009, Adam Gontier worked with Daughtry on their second studio album Leave This Town. The song "Back Again" was featured on the physical copy of Daughtry's Leave This Town: The B-Sides EP.
In 2011, Gontier created the record label, Sludge Factory Records, and has signed three acts, one of which is fellow Peterborough band, Before the Curtain. Gontier was also featured on the track "Raining" by fellow Canadian band Art of Dying on their album Vices and Virtues.
On January 24, 2020, Breaking Benjamin released their compilation album, Aurora, that included Gontier on the track "Dance with the Devil". In January 2023, he was featured on Skillet's song "Finish Line", on the deluxe edition of Dominion. Gontier formed a new project called Diviidedby together with former USS MC Jason "Human Kebab" Parsons in April 2023. In late 2023, he was featured on the 2023 version of "Let the Sparks Fly" by Thousand Foot Krutch. Gontier was featured on the single "Why Is Love So Hard" by Peyton Parrish, released in May 2024.
Awards
In 2004, Gontier was named on Chart Attack magazine's "20 Sexiest Canadian Musicians" list. In 2006, Gontier and Three Days Grace won the Billboard Music Awards for Rock Single of the Year. In 2008, Gontier won the BMI Pop Awards. Michael Bell handed him the "Big Time Award", at the 2012 "Wire Awards". Gontier was inducted into the Norwood District High School Hall of Honor in July 2022 along with Brad and Matt Walst.
Personal life
Gontier married Naomi Faith Brewer in May 2004. The couple divorced in 2013. His cousin, Cale Gontier, is the bass player for Art of Dying and Saint Asonia. As of 2023, he resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 2005, Gontier went into rehabilitation at the CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) in Toronto, where he wrote many of the songs for One-X, including "Pain", "Animal I Have Become", "Get Out Alive", "Over and Over", "Never Too Late" and "Gone Forever". A docu-drama about his addiction, Behind the Pain, was released in 2007. Gontier has been open about his struggles with mental health. He stated that he relapsed in 2017 and went into a treatment center. Since then, Gontier has been sober and stated that he has "no plans on going back to a dark place anytime soon."
Discography
Groundswell
- Wave of Popular Feeling (1995)
Three Days Grace
- Three Days Grace (2003)
- One-X (2006)
- Life Starts Now (2009)
- Transit of Venus (2012)
- Alienation (2025)
Saint Asonia
- Saint Asonia (2015)
- Flawed Design (2019)
- Introvert/Extrovert (2022)
Singles
As lead artist
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:8em;"| Title
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" style="width:10em;"| Album
|-
! scope="row"| "Tidal Wave"
| 2021
|
|-
|}
As featured artist
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year
! scope="col" colspan="5" | Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Certification
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| CAN<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| CAN<br>Rock<br>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| FIN<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US<br/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US<br>Main.<br>Rock<br/>
|-
! scope="row"| "I Don't Care" <br/><small>(Apocalyptica featuring Adam Gontier)</small>
| 2008
| 59 || 4 || 13 || 78 || 1
|
- MC: Gold
| Worlds Collide
|-
! scope="row"| "Wars" <br/><small>(Cevilain featuring Adam Gontier)</small>
| 2021
| — || — || — || — || —
|
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Let the Sparks Fly"<br/><small>(Thousand Foot Krutch featuring Adam Gontier)</small>
| 2023
| — || — || — || — || —
|
| The End Is Where We Begin: Reignited
|-
! scope="row"| "Why Is Love So Hard" <br/><small>(Peyton Parrish featuring Adam Gontier)</small>
| 2024
| — || — || — || — || —
|
|
|-
| colspan="10" style="font-size:9pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart.
|}
Other appearances
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:1em;"| Year
! scope="col"| Artist(s)
! scope="col"| Album
! scope="col"| Notes
! scope="col"|
|-
! scope="row"| "Back Again"
| 2010
| Daughtry
| Leave This Town: The B-Sides
| Songwriter
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Raining"
| 2011
| Art of Dying
| Vices and Virtues
| Composer, featured artist
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Dance with the Devil"
| 2020
| Breaking Benjamin
| Aurora
| Featured artist
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Finish Line"
| 2023
| Skillet
| Dominion
| Featured artist
|
|}