Who was Andy Williams, aka Yam Who? Tributes pour in as Midnight Riot founder passes away

It was announced on March 6, 2025, that Andy Williams, the renowned DJ, producer, and owner of the Midnight Riot label, had passed away. Williams, who also goes by Yam Who?, was an influential member of the U.K.'s disco and house music scene. Fellow artists and fans have reacted to his death by expressing their grief online.

Williams not only established Midnight Riot but also founded ISM Records and Black Riot. He also pursued a prolific career as a solo artist under the alias Yam Who?, which initially was a duo with Des Morgan, before becoming Williams’ solo project.

After his death was reported on March 6, tributes poured in on social media from other musicians and industry people. On their Instagram, Defected Records shared that they were heartbroken and described him as a huge influence on the people he touched.

"Andy has always been a ray of light. He is a great DJ, producer, and label owner, but most importantly… a great person."

On the other hand, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy also expressed her condolences. Under her Instagram post, she shared how they started hitting the studio together, doing remixes with Ashley Beedle for their DarkStarr Disco-Tech project.

Colleen stated that while Williams could sometimes seem aloof, those who worked closely with him found him warm, witty, and honest.

Alan Dixon, another artist, shared his experience of meeting Andy Williams for the first time. He said:

"When I first moved to London Andy was the first music producer I hooked up with..Amazing memories of good nights out and lots of laughs with Andy and his close friends."

According to Distractify, others who paid tribute to Williams’ death include HiFi Sean and Faith Fanzine.

---

A look into Andy Williams legacy as a DJ and music producer

Andy Williams was one of the most important figures in UK music, more specifically in the disco and house scenes. He collaborated widely as well, with Papa Records, Electric Minds, and Ubiquity, among others.

Tracks by many artists, including Amp Fiddler, Robert Owens, Eli Escobar, Arthur Baker, Michael Gray, and Groove Assassin, were released by Midnight Riot, a label that Mixmag called one of the most influential disco labels of the last 10 years.

In addition to his roles as a producer and label head, Andy Williams was a central and active figure in the wider music community. From 2016 to 2020, he served as Mixmag’s disco editor, writing a regular column that covered trends and up-and-coming artists in the genre.

According to Mixmag, as a DJ he played at many events and venues throughout the world including Glitterbox, Ministry of Sound, Horse Meat Disco, Love International and Amsterdam Dance Event.