Mars Williams, Chicago-based saxophonist of the Psychedelic Furs and the Grammy-nominated Liquid Soul, has died. He was 68.
He died on Monday after a year-long cancer battle, according to a GoFundMe site that was raising money for his medical costs.
The Psychedelic Furs also posted a tribute to their late bandmate on their Instagram page Monday. “We’re heartbroken 💔. Goodbye to the great Mars Williams. Rest well,” the band wrote alongside a photo of Williams’ saxophone on a stage.
Williams soloed on the Psychedelic Furs’ biggest U.S. hit, “Heartbreak Beat” (1986), which reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The GoFundMe message, attributed to Williams’ family and friends, said he was still touring with the band this year. “As it became clear in late summer that his treatment options were coming to an end,” the note said, “he chose to spend six weeks of the time he had left living as he had since he was a teenager — out on the road performing night after night.”
Liquid Soul previously announced a benefit concert at Metro Chicago to help fund treatment for Williams’ cancer, and the concert will still go on.
Richard Butler, Zachary Alford and Rich Good of Psychedelic Furs, Joe Marcinek Band and Jesse De La Peña, Jeff Coffin of Dave Matthews Band, Richard Fortus of Guns N’ Roses and Ike Reilly will also pay tribute to the late saxophonist at the event.
In addition to his work with the Psychedelic Furs and Liquid Soul, Williams recorded and performed music with Billy Idol, The Killers and “virtually every leading figure of Chicago’s and New York City’s ‘downtown’ scene,” according to his website.
Williams also taught classes on woodwind instruments and jazz history at Bard College, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the University of Chicago, Roosevelt University and the June Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.
