Mars Williams, a popular saxophone player who had became a significant part of legendary bands such as The Psychedelic Furs and The Waitresses, has passed away at the age of 68; what was his cause of death?
According to The Chicago Tribune, the late musician died after battling with ampullary cancer for over a year.
Per John Hopkins Medicine, his medical condition is a cancer that forms in a body part called the ampulla of Vater which can be found in the first portion of the small intestine.
His family previously set up a GoFundMe page wherein they talked about the musician's health battle, saying he was diagnosed with the rare cancer at the end of last December. They explained that a tumor developed near his bile duct and pancreas.
Mars Williams Was 'Totally Upbeat' Despite His Diagnosis and Treatment Before His Death
He was able to undergo surgery the following month and he had to stay in the hospital to recover.
By March of 2023, he underwent chemotherapy for over six months. They described him as "totally upbeat" despite his battle.
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They set up the fundraising page because of extensive medical bills and the cost of drug needed for his recovery at the time.
As of this writing, the GoFundMe page has already been disabled, but they were able to raise over $103,051.
Mars Williams Career
His family shared a brief explanation about his career, saying he was a part of the creative music community around his home in Chicago as well as other parts of the world.
Throughout his career, Williams was able to get a Grammy nomination for his work as a saxophonist, he was also a composer and bandleader.
Aside from The Psychedelic Furs and The Waitresses, he also collaborated with musical acts such as NRG Ensemble, Extraordinary Popular Delusions, An Ayler Xmas, XmarsX, Boneshaker, Billy Idol, and many more.
During his early days, he started to play clarinet for ten years when he was younger. He was heavily influenced by music as his father was a trumpeter. He later changed his instrument to saxophone during the last year of high school.
According to Billboard, the musician completed his jazz studies at DePaul University before he moved to New York City where he met the two legendary bands.
He played some of their most iconic tracks such as "I Know What Boys Like."
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