- Karl Mueller
Karl Mueller (b.
July 27 1963 ,Minneapolis – d.June 17 2005 ,Minneapolis ) was a U.S. rock musician. He was the bass player and a founding member of the Minneapolis rock/grunge bandSoul Asylum .In the early 1990s, after nearly a decade of constant touring and critical acclaim, Soul Asylum found themselves without a recording contract. Mueller worked for part of this time at a restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. The band's future seemed an open question, as guitarist/singers Dave Pirner and
Dan Murphy played around town as an acoustic duo. Finally, Soul Asylum signed withColumbia Records and released the album "Grave Dancers Union" in 1992.Soul Asylum's commercial fortunes would flounder yet again in the late 1990s, and once more the band seemed on the verge of breaking up.
In May 2004 Mueller was diagnosed with throat cancer and several benefit concerts were held to help him with the medical bills. In September of that year,
Grant Hart andBob Mould ofHüsker Dü 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. In June 2005, Mueller lost his battle with throat cancer. His widow, Mary Beth, resides inMinneapolis .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.
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