Christian musician Andy Williams, 49, former Casting Crowns drummer, dies from crash injuries

Andy Williams, 49, the former drummer for the highly popular Christian rock band Casting Crowns, died Friday at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, less than two weeks after he was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle.

His wife, Kelly, wrote on the Grace Chapel Fairview Facebook page, “Early this morning, around 1:00 a.m., Andy Williams went to be with Jesus. He fought a great fight, but the injuries that he suffered took a toll on his physical body.

“We celebrate that Andy is in the arms of his Savior and we are grateful for the memories and laughter that Andy brought to all who knew him,” Mrs. Williams added.

Mr. Williams, not related to the 1960s pop singer, was a member of the band known for “Who Am I,” “East to West” and other hits, from 2001 to 2009. During that time, the group released three studio albums and three live concert albums. Each of the three studio albums were certified as platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

“He was a Teddy bear of a man who loved Jesus and his family so deeply and well,” Nashville radio veteran Karla Henry told The Washington Times. She said Mr. Williams taught her son the drums: “My son could have the hardest day, but leave his music lesson smiling and laughing!”

Mr. Williams was reportedly driving to church on his motorcycle when he was struck by a car. He was resuscitated at the scene, a Casting Crowns Facebook post at the time said, and hospitalized in Nashville.

Initially, Mr. Williams was said to have been placed on a ventilator “with severe trauma to the body and brain.” In the following days, one of his legs was amputated above the knee, the result of his injuries. He suffered fevers during his hospitalization, reports indicated.

Ms. Henry said a GoFundMe account has been established to help the Williams family at www.gofundme.com/f/w24eg-andys-army. By Friday evening, some $57,000 of the fund’s $250,000 goal had been raised.