Andrew Williams, Every Time I Die guitarist known to wrestling fans as The Butcher, dies

Andrew Williams, the longtime rhythm guitarist for metalcore band Every Time I Die, who went by “The Butcher” in his other career as a professional wrestler, has died, All Elite Wrestling has confirmed.He was 48.Williams’ death was announced hours after he collapsed during an independent wrestling show in Millvale, Pennsylvania, and was rushed to a hospital by ambulance Saturday night.“Andy collapsed at the end of his match this evening,” Enjoy Wrestling, the promoter putting on Saturday’s event, said on X.

“Our doctors on staff tended to him immediately, administering CPR until the ambulance arrived.”Williams grew up in the Buffalo, New York, area, thinking he was going to follow his father’s and uncles’ footsteps and work at a factory when he got older.“I remember being like, ‘Oh, my God, I got to get out of here,’” he told Renee Paquette in a 2022 interview.Williams recalled living with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, which prevented him from learning how to read music.

But, he told Paquette, “I just picked up a guitar and it just made sense.”Williams played with Every Time I Die from the group’s inception in 1998 to it’s disbandment in 2022.“The band became known for turning chaos into catharsis, pairing breakneck intensity with anthemic hooks and off-kilter grooves,” according to Epitaph Records, which signed the group in 2008.In 2025, Williams’ new band, Atomic Rule, released a demo EP.On Saturday, just hours before his collapse, Williams spoke in a video on the group’s Instagram page, saying they’d just wrapped up writing new music and would be appearing on tour with Gwar in November and December.“Get ready, because Atomic Rule is going to be coming and smashing it,” Williams said in the video.Between the ropes, Williams dispensed with his soft-spoken, easygoing demeanor and instead went by “The Butcher,” putting his burly, heavily tattooed body to hard-hitting use as one half of the tag team...