EVERY TIME I DIE Guitarist Andy Williams, Known as AEW's “The Butcher,” Dies at 48

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Andy Williams, founding guitarist of Every Time I Die and the professional wrestler known as The Butcher, has passed away at 48 following a medical emergency at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, September 5. All Elite Wrestling acknowledged his passing in a statement Sunday.

Williams was appearing at Enjoy Wrestling’s Five Years event alongside his longtime tag-team partner, Jesse Guilmette, known as The Blade. According to the promotion, Andy collapsed at the end of their match. Doctors on staff immediately administered CPR until an ambulance arrived. The remainder of the event was canceled, and Williams was transported to a hospital.

An official cause of death had not been announced at the time of writing.

In its statement, AEW recognized Williams’ contributions to both music and wrestling, remembering him as “incredibly respected by his peers both in and out of the ring.”

This is a hard one to write. Andy’s work reached people through two communities that share so many of the same fans, and with this happening at Mr. Smalls, it hits especially close to home here in Pittsburgh.

For music fans, Andy was a constant in Every Time I Die, and helped form the band in Buffalo in 1998 and remained through its run of nine studio albums, ending with 2021’s Radical before the band’s split in January 2022. From Hot Damn! and Gutter Phenomenon through Low Teens and Radical, his playing alongside Jordan Buckley helped give the band its identity.

Andy explained that partnership himself in a 2021 interview with Guitar.com: “A lot of the groove comes from me, and a lot of the technical stuff comes from Jordan.” It’s a simple description of something that meant a whole lot to the people listening. Wrestling gave him another place to put that energy. The Butcher and The Blade arrived on AEW Dynamite alongside The Bunny in November 2019, introducing Andy to an audience that might never have heard an Every Time I Die record. His time with AEW ended earlier this year, following the expiration of the team’s contracts in June.

He had also continued making music with Atomic Rule, playing guitar on the band’s December 2025 release, The Golden Rose. There was another chapter of music happening, which makes this news that much harder to take. Among those remembering him was musician Josh Scogin, who wrote: “Andy was larger than life in everything he did. Music, wrestling, friendship, etc. He always went big.”

My thoughts go out to Andy’s family, friends, bandmates, wrestling partners, and everyone who loved him. They also go out to the fans, staff, and medical personnel who were there Saturday night.

Rest in peace, Andy. Thank you for everything you gave to the music and the people around it.