Andy Williams is getting a permanent tribute in the community where he grew up—and fans have a chance to help make it happen. A memorial featuring a statue of the wrestler and musician seated on a bench is planned for Gratwick Riverside Park in North Tonawanda, New York.
Jordan Buckley, a founding member of Every Time I Die and Williams’ longtime bandmate, announced the project on September 28. The memorial is set to be built along the Niagara River Greenway, giving those who loved Williams a place to visit and remember him.
Fans looking to contribute can purchase a customized, engraved memorial brick. The fundraiser gives supporters from both his wrestling and music careers a direct way to help build the tribute.
The location makes this especially personal. Williams was born in Buffalo and grew up in North Tonawanda’s Gratwick neighborhood, bringing the planned memorial back to his roots.
The announcement comes just weeks after Williams died at 48 following a medical emergency at Enjoy Wrestling’s September 5 event. Ringside News first broke the story of his passing that night, following information shared by wrestling podcaster Famous Davis and direct contact with Davis about his source. TMZ subsequently confirmed the news.
Williams had been teaming with The Blade against TME at the promotion’s Five Years show at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania. He collapsed near the end of the match, received CPR and was transported to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Enjoy Wrestling confirmed that its medical team immediately stepped in. In its statement that night, the promotion described the emergency response.
“Our doctors on staff tended to him immediately, administering CPR until the ambulance arrived.”
A subsequent police update on Williams’ death said investigators observed no visible signs of trauma or indications of foul play. At the time of that September 8 statement, the official cause and manner of death remained pending following an autopsy and additional testing.
Williams left his mark on two very different stages. Wrestling fans knew him as The Butcher, the imposing performer alongside The Blade, while music fans knew him for his years playing guitar in Every Time I Die. Both parts of his life brought him supporters who are now helping keep his memory alive.
Now, that remembrance is taking a physical form back home. The planned bench and statue will give fans somewhere to bring those memories—and the engraved bricks offer a way to help put the tribute together, one contribution at a time.
What memory of Andy Williams would you want this memorial to represent? Share your stories and feedback in the comments below.
