Mars Williams Dies: Psychedelic Furs, The Waitresses Saxophonist Was 68

Greg Evans
·3 min read
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Marc Charles Williams, better known as Mars Williams, the front-and-center saxophonist of ’80s New Wave bands The Waitresses and The Psychedelic Furs, died Nov. 20 of the rare and aggressive ampullary cancer in a Chicago hospice facility. He was 68.

His death was announced by his family on a GoFundMe page last month, but has more recently gained widespread attention. His brother Paul R. Williams confirmed the cause of death to The New York Times for an obituary posted today.

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Following his initial stints in the Waitresses and Psychedelic Furs – both bands were early MTV favorites with videos often spotlighting the playful Williams, and he would reunite with the Furs throughout his life – the saxophonist went on to lead his own jazz ensembles including the influential, Grammy-nominated acid jazz group Liquid Soul in the 1990s.

A statement posted by his family on the GoFundMe page reads, in part, “Until the end, Mars’ inexhaustible humor and energy, and his love for music, pushed him forward. As it became clear in late summer that his treatment options were coming to an end, 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. Those last performances with the Psychedelic Furs will live on with all of the other incredible contributions that Mars has made as a person, and as a musician, and that boundless energy will continue to inspire.”

Born May 29, 1955, in Elmhurst, Illinois, Williams had played on the CBGB-downtown New York music scene before coming to widespread public attention as a member of the short-lived The Waitresses, the 1980-83 band fronted by singer Patty Donahue, whose intentionally blasé vocals distinguished the bands hits “I Know What Boys Like” and “Christmas Wrapping.” The band provided the theme song to the now-beloved single-season high school sitcom Square Pegs, which starred a young Sarah Jessica Parker and Jami Gertz.

In Waitress music videos, Williams would typically be given a moment in the spotlight, playing his sax and dancing or joshing with Donahue.

After the break-up of The Waitresses, Williams signed on full-time with the Furs, while also lending his sax sounds to performances by Billy Idol, the Power Station and The Band’s Rick Danko. For a time, he was a regular at Blues Bar, the afterhours TriBeCa club of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.

By the time he joined the Furs, the band had already had a 1982 MTV hit with “Love My Way,” and while Williams’ made significant contributions to the band beginning with the 1984 album Mirror Moves, he was not featured with the core trio of singer Richard Butler, guitarists John Ashton and bassist Tim Butler in the popular music videos “Heaven” and “The Ghost In You.”

Williams remained with the Furs until 1989, then rejoined the band in 2005, touring until he was physically unable to do so.

Dave Rempis, the friend and fellow saxophonist who organized the GoFundMe page for Williams, told the Times, “Being on a grueling bus tour would be exhausting for anyone. By the end, he was sitting in a dressing room with blankets and heaters all around him. He could barely move. But he would still go out onstage and play as hard as ever. He just wanted to be back onstage where he felt most alive.”

In an Instagram post depicting a photo of a saxophone on a lone stage in an empty theater, the band wrote simply, “We’re heartbroken. Goodbye to the great Mars Williams. Rest well.”

Williams is survived by brother Paul R. Williams, his mother, and sisters Michele Williams-Piotrowski and Suzy Williams. He was predeceased by sister Valerie Williams and brother Jack Williams.

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