Tributes have been coming in for Andy ‘The Butcher’ Williams, rhythm guitarist with the metalcore band Every Time I Die and professional wrestler.
The 48-year-old collapsed after taking part in a tag team bout at a wrestling event in Pennsylvania on Saturday night. He was given CPR and taken to hospital, where he later died.
Williams was a founder member of Every Time I Die in 1998 and played on all nine of their studio albums before they split in 2022. After the breakup, Williams formed another group, Atomic Rule.
Kind words have been flooding in about Williams from colleagues in both the music and wrestling worlds. Carson Pace, vocalist with The Callous Daoboys, wrote on social media, quoting the guitarist’s own words: “‘Someday, I’ll show you how structuring a wrestling match and writing a song are exactly the same.’ Can’t wait, brother. Gonna miss you a lot. Say hi to Ricky Jay for me.”
Andy Williams has passed away. Gone too soon. Though he will be remembered by most for his guitar playing in the underrated but iconically influential Every Time I Die and his spanning wrestling career, Andy Williams was a warm and beloved presence in every space he occupied. pic.twitter.com/bQM7jqpqjySeptember 6, 2026
Better Lovers, an offshoot band from Every Time I Die, have described Williams as: “A true 1 of 1 human being in every aspect of life... How lucky we and everyone he crossed paths with were to have known or shared any type moment/s with him, big or small. There will never be another Andy Williams.”
Knotfest, the festival originally created by Slipknot, has also paid respect: “Gone too soon. Though he will be remembered by most for his guitar playing in the underrated but iconically influential Every Time I Die and his spanning wrestling career, Andy Williams was a warm and beloved presence in every space he occupied.”
Meanwhile, from the wrestling world, All Elite Wrestling has said on Twitter/ X: “All Elite Wrestling is saddened to learn of the passing of Andy Williams, aka The Butcher. A trailblazing musician with ETID and Atomic Rule, Williams made a successful transition into the world of professional wrestling and was incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring. Our condolences go out to Williams’ family, friends and fans.”
Fellow wrestler Josh Alexander also paid tribute, saying: “He was one of the best people I ever met. Every time we spoke I left the conversation better for it. I’ll remember Andy for what he was. A dude with an enormous heart that could always put a smile on my face. Rest in Peace brother.”
It looks as though Atomic Rule were about to share some new music. Williams’ final Instagram post before Saturday’s bout said: “So stoked to share all this with you! We feel like we’ve finally found our feet planted to this beautiful earth and now we’re running full speed!” That music will no doubt now be released posthumously.
