Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The upcoming celebration of life honoring the late Andy Williams will be livestreamed globally across the internet on September 27, as per theprp. Williams, widely celebrated as a founding guitarist for Every Time I Die, a member of Atomic Rule, and a professional wrestler known as The Butcher, passed away earlier this month after collapsing toward the end of a wrestling match. Although he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he was tragically pronounced dead, with an official cause of death yet to be revealed.
Friends and family have organized a memorial service and celebration of life at Buffalo RiverWorks in Buffalo, New York. In addition to speeches and tributes from close friends, the event will feature special acoustic performances by Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky and Adam McGrath, Four Year Strong’s Dan O’Connor and Alan Day, and Anthony Green of Circa Survive and L.S. Dunes. All proceeds from tribute merchandise sold via andywilliamsforever.com are designated for charities Williams passionately supported. The memorial will be broadcast live starting at 6:00 PM EST on September 27 via YouTube (youtube.com/@AndyWilliamsForever).
The Buffalo, New York-based American metalcore group Every Time I Die was founded in 1998. The brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), along with rhythm guitarist Andy Williams, dominated the lineup throughout the most of the band’s existence. Bassist Stephen Micciche also played with the group for a total of 15 of its 24 years. They signed with Epitaph Records in 2008 and stayed there until their breakup in early 2022, having spent the first ten years of their existence on the Ferret Music label. Every Time I Die put out nine studio albums before releasing “Radical”, their last album, in October 2021. The band’s dynamic live performances and ever-evolving sound won them praise.
During their initial short tour covering the Buffalo, New York, and Toronto, Ontario, areas, the band connected with Goodfellow Records producer Chris Logan, leading to the release of their debut EP, “The Burial Plot Bidding War”, in December 1999. Earlier that autumn, in October 1999, the group had also contributed an exclusive track to the Redstar Records compilation album “The Sound and the Fury”.
By early 2000, bassist Aaron Ratajczak had joined the lineup as the replacement for McCarthy. The updated roster entered Zing Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts, in January 2001 to track their debut full-length album for Ferret Records. The resulting record, “Last Night In Town,” arrived on August 14, 2001, which the band supported by embarking on an East Coast tour alongside Killswitch Engage. Later that same year, Kid Gorgeous bassist Stephen Micciche replaced Ratajczak to take over bass duties.
