Jan 21, 2025 7:54 PM
Southern California Fires Hit the Jazz Community
Roy McCurdy and his wife had just finished eating dinner and were relaxing over coffee in their Altadena home, when he…
Aerophonic Records has set up a GoFundMe to support Williams, who’s being treated for ampullary cancer.
(Photo: Aerophonic Records)Aerophonic Records has set up a GoFundMe campaign for saxophonist Mars Williams, a prolific artist in the creative music community who was recently diagnosed with a rare disease known as ampullary cancer in which a tumor develops near the bile duct and pancreas. He underwent major surgery in January, followed by a three-week hospital stay to recuperate. In March, Williams began a six-month course of chemotherapy.
“Extensive medical bills, high drug costs and at least nine months of being unable to work are all taking a severe toll,” Aerophonic Records founder Dave Rempis said in an announcement emailed to music media outlets. “While he does have insurance, that only covers a portion of the monumental expenses. And like most lifelong working musicians, he doesn’t have the savings to see himself through a crisis of this magnitude. Despite these challenges, his attitude is totally upbeat, and he’s tackling this like everything else in his life — head on. But he needs our support to make it through … as he works hard to get back onstage where he belongs.”
Williams’ influence radiates outward from his home base in Chicago to every corner of the globe. As a Grammy-nominated instrumentalist, composer and bandleader, he’s fronted too many ensembles to count, ranging from his longstanding working band Liquid Soul, Witches and Devils, NRG Ensemble, Extraordinary Popular Delusions, An Ayler Xmas, XmarsX and Boneshaker. In the rock world, Williams is celebrated for his decades of recording and touring with The Psychedelic Furs, as well as stints with The Waitresses, Ministry, Power Station, Billy Idol, Die Warzau, Jerry Garcia, Billy Squire and others.
To contribute to the GoFundMe for Williams, click here. DB
Gerald and John Clayton at the family home in Altadena during a photo shoot for the June 2022 cover of DownBeat. The house was lost during the Los Angeles fires.
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