Andy Williams lived two full careers at once: rhythm guitarist for the metalcore band Every Time I Die, and professional wrestler known as The Butcher in All Elite Wrestling. He died on September 5, 2026, at age 48, and this guide lays out exactly what’s confirmed about his life, his career, and his death, plus which details are still unverified.
Background: Who Was Andy Williams?
Andy Williams, born Andrew Williams, grew up in the Buffalo, New York area and co-founded the metalcore band Every Time I Die in 1998 alongside guitarist Jordan Buckley and drummer Mike Novak. He played on all nine of the band’s studio albums and never missed a live show for over two decades. Alongside the music, he pursued a second career as a professional wrestler, training on and off for years before debuting under the ring name The Butcher in 2016 and eventually signing with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2019.
People are searching for him right now because he died suddenly this week, at age 48, shortly after stepping back into the wrestling ring following the end of his AEW contract. The combination of his music career, his wrestling fame, and the suddenness of his death is driving a wave of tribute articles and search interest across both the rock and wrestling communities.
Latest Update
As of September 7, 2026, here is what’s currently known. Andy Williams collapsed near the end of a tag team match at an Enjoy Wrestling event called “Five Years” in Millvale, Pennsylvania, on the night of September 5, 2026. Event medical staff performed CPR on-site before he was taken to a hospital by ambulance, and the remainder of the show was canceled. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his death the following day, September 6.
Key dates: August 3, 2026 — Williams wrestled Josh Barnett in his first match since his AEW contract ended. September 5, 2026 — Williams collapsed during a match in Millvale, Pennsylvania. September 6, 2026 — his death was officially confirmed by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.
As of this writing, no official cause of death has been publicly released. Several major outlets, including NBC News and Variety, have reported on his passing, and AEW released a statement offering condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Tributes have also poured in from musicians who worked alongside him in Every Time I Die and from fellow wrestlers. Until an official cause of death is announced, any specific medical explanation circulating online should be treated as unconfirmed.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Williams grew up in the Buffalo, New York area, including the suburb of North Tonawanda. In interviews, he described expecting to follow his father and uncles into factory work before finding his way into music and wrestling instead. Beyond that general background, detailed information about his immediate family, parents’ names, and whether he had a spouse or children is not publicly documented in any verified source, so those specifics are treated as unconfirmed here rather than guessed at.
Career Path
Williams originally set out to become a professional wrestler as a teenager and trained at a wrestling school in Ontario, Canada, but a knee injury sidelined him and pushed him toward learning guitar instead. In 1998, he co-founded Every Time I Die in Buffalo, and the band went on to release nine studio albums between 2001 and 2021, becoming a respected name in the metalcore and hardcore punk scene. He appeared on every one of those releases and toured consistently for more than twenty years.
He never fully let go of his wrestling ambitions. In the mid-2010s he resumed training, began appearing on the independent wrestling circuit in 2015, and made his AEW debut in 2019 under the ring name The Butcher, teaming with fellow wrestler Jesse Guilmette as “The Blade” in the tag team known as The Butcher and the Blade. When Every Time I Die broke up in January 2022, Williams shifted to wrestling full-time. His AEW contract expired in June 2026, and he continued performing on the independent circuit afterward, including a high-profile match against his former trainer Josh Barnett in August 2026, before his death the following month.
Age
Andy Williams was born on December 12, 1977, and died on September 5, 2026, at age 48.
Religion
No verified source confirms details about Andy Williams’s religious beliefs or affiliation. Any specific religious identification circulating online should be treated as unconfirmed until a primary source addresses it.
Spouse/Partner
There is no verified public information confirming whether Andy Williams was married or in a relationship at the time of his death. This detail has not been reported by any major outlet covering his passing, so it should be treated as unconfirmed rather than assumed either way.
Net Worth
No credible, sourced net worth figure exists for Andy Williams the musician and wrestler. Unlike some public figures with disclosed earnings or estate filings, his finances were never a matter of public record, and entertainment “net worth” estimate sites have not published a verifiable figure specific to him. Any dollar amount attached to his name online should be treated as unconfirmed speculation.
Parents
Specific names and details about Andy Williams’s parents have not been published in any verified biography or news report. He has mentioned in interviews that his father and uncles worked in factory jobs in the Buffalo area, but beyond that general detail, more specific family information is unconfirmed.
Height
As a professional wrestler, Williams was billed at 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) and 273 pounds (124 kg). Keep in mind that wrestling promotions sometimes round billed heights and weights for showmanship rather than using an exact measurement, so this figure should be read as the commonly cited wrestling stat rather than a medically verified number.
Education
No specific school or education details for Andy Williams have been publicly documented in verified sources. This detail is treated as unconfirmed.
Hometown/State of Origin
Andy Williams was born in Buffalo, New York, and grew up in the nearby suburb of North Tonawanda, New York. Every Time I Die was formed in Buffalo, and Williams remained closely associated with the city’s music and wrestling scenes throughout his career.
Official Social Media
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Andrew Williams |
| Born | December 12, 1977, Buffalo, New York |
| Died | September 5, 2026 (age 48), Millvale, Pennsylvania |
| Occupations | Musician (Every Time I Die), Professional Wrestler (AEW, “The Butcher”) |
| Billed Height/Weight | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) / 273 lb (124 kg), wrestling stats |
| Bands | Every Time I Die (1998–2022) |
| Wrestling Ring Names | Andy Williams, The Butcher, Ballsy Malone, Billy Goat Williams |
| Cause of Death | Not publicly announced as of this writing |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Who was Andy Williams the wrestler and musician?
He was Andrew “Andy” Williams, best known as the rhythm guitarist for the metalcore band Every Time I Die and as the professional wrestler “The Butcher” in All Elite Wrestling, where he teamed with Jesse Guilmette (“The Blade”).
How did Andy Williams die?
He collapsed near the end of a wrestling match at an Enjoy Wrestling event in Millvale, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2026. He was taken to a hospital after receiving CPR, and his death was confirmed the next day by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. An official cause of death has not been publicly released.
How old was Andy Williams when he died?
He was 48 years old. He was born on December 12, 1977, and died on September 5, 2026.
What band was Andy Williams in?
He was the co-founding rhythm guitarist of Every Time I Die, a metalcore band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1998. He played on all nine of the band’s studio albums until it broke up in January 2022.
What was Andy Williams’s wrestling name?
He wrestled under the ring name The Butcher, most notably in All Elite Wrestling as one-half of the tag team The Butcher and the Blade. He also used the ring names Ballsy Malone and Billy Goat Williams earlier in his independent wrestling career.
Was Andy Williams still with AEW when he died?
No. His AEW contract expired in June 2026, making him a free agent. He continued wrestling on the independent circuit afterward, including a match in August 2026, before his death in September 2026.
How tall was Andy Williams?
He was billed at 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) as a professional wrestler. This is a promotional wrestling stat rather than an independently verified medical measurement, so treat it as the commonly cited figure rather than an exact one.
Wrap-Up
Andy Williams spent more than two decades proving that a hardcore guitarist and a professional wrestler could be the same person, splitting his time between recording studios and wrestling rings without fully giving up either one. His death at 48, so soon after stepping back into the ring following the end of his AEW run, has understandably shaken both the metalcore and wrestling communities he was part of.
Because this news is only a couple of days old at the time of writing, some details, including an official cause of death and any information about his immediate family, simply are not public yet. This article will only state what has been confirmed by credible reporting, and it avoids filling in the gaps with guesses.
What is clear is the scope of what he built: nine studio albums with Every Time I Die, a genuine second career in AEW under the name The Butcher, and a reputation among peers in both worlds as someone who took each pursuit seriously. As more facts about his death become available, this space is best updated by checking directly with outlets like AEW’s official statements, POST Wrestling, or major national news coverage rather than relying on unverified social media claims.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.