Former Every Time I Die guitarist turned pro wrestler Andy Williams has died aged 48.
Williams was taking part in a tag team wrestling match in Pennsylvania when he collapsed. He later passed away in hospital, according to TMZ.
Andy ‘The Butcher’ Williams had been wrestling professionally as part of All-Elite Wrestling for 10 years, but in the music world, he was best known as guitarist for Every Time I Die, one of metalcore’s most innovative and influential forces.
Alongside guitarist Jordan Buckley and Michael Novak, he founded the Buffalo, New York band in 1998 and performed on all nine of their albums, including 2021’s final full-length, Radical. The group ended the following year.
Williams formed the band Atomic Rule in 2023. They released their debut EP in September 2025.
He was famed for his fusion of classic rock influences and heavier styles, which set Every Time I Die apart from their metalcore contemporaries, and made them one of the most influential bands in their scene.
“My goal is to bring a more legit approach to guitar playing,” he told Guitar World in 2005. “To me, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin are legit. If I get stuck when I’m writing a riff, I think, ‘What would Jimmy Page do?’”
