Karl Mueller (July 27, 1963 – June 17, 2005)
- accessed February 2011 was an American rock musician. He was the

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

ist and a founding member of the Minneapolis

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...

band

Soul Asylum Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of D ...

. In May 2004, Mueller, a longtime smoker, was diagnosed with

esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voi ...

, and a benefit concert was held to help him with his medical bills. In September of that year, Grant Hart and Bob Mould of

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...

reunited for the first time in seventeen years at the Rock for Karl benefit in Minneapolis. Paul Westerberg also made an appearance, as did Soul Asylum, in Mueller's last public performance. Mueller died of cancer in June 2005. Mueller was subsequently cremated and his remains reside at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. His widow, Mary Beth, resides in Minneapolis. As of 2020, Mueller is still credited as a member on their Facebook page as a tribute.

Posthumous

In July 2006, Soul Asylum released '' The Silver Lining'', a studio album featuring Mueller's last work. Mueller was also pictured on the cover of the EP '' Clam Dip & Other Delights'', released on April 14, 1989.

References

External links

* The Soul Asylu
Band records
are available for research use at th
Minnesota Historical Society.
1963 births 2005 deaths American rock bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Grunge musicians Musicians from Minneapolis Deaths from esophageal cancer Deaths from cancer in Minnesota Burials at Lakewood Cemetery 20th-century American bass guitarists Guitarists from Minnesota Soul Asylum members 20th-century American male musicians {{US-bass-guitarist-stub