Ike Willis Dies

Isaac "Ike" Willis died on Saturday, May 16, 2026 of prostate cancer at the age of 70. A guitar protege since the age of 8, Ike Willis was a mainstay in progressive rock, alternative rock and R&B and blues music.

While studying political science at Washington University, St. Louis, he met Frank Zappa after a concert and became a regular member of Frank Zappa's studio and touring bands from 1978 until the last tour in 1988. Ike Willis led The Ike Willis Band and regularly did studio voice work and wrote compositions for films. In 2021 Willis revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which had spread to other parts of his body.