Rock Musician Dies of Esophageal Cancer: Daniel McMahon Was 41

Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts guitarist Dan McMahon has died. The Rockford, Illinois-based musician, whose career spanned nearly two decades, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 19 following “a brief battle” with esophageal cancer, according to an online obituary. He was 41.

Miles Nielsen announced McMahon’s death in a Facebook tribute. “Thank you for always pushing me, I’ll miss you forever on my right side,” Nielsen wrote, later inviting fans in a follow-up post to “please leave messages and stories on the Olson Funeral Message Board. We have shows this week, and will always miss our Daniel James McMahon, with every note and every song, his influence can be felt, and heard. I miss you.”

Born in Rockford in November 1982, McMahon was a self-described “musical expeditionary” who began playing in bands while he was still in high school. During those early years, he played with bands including Spoonful JC and a Rage Against the Machine cover band, and after moving to Appleton, Wisconsin when he was 19, McMahon joined Breathing Machine as their drummer, remaining with the group and transitioning to lead guitarist as the band moved into Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons.

McMahon, however, was perhaps best known for his work with Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts. The musician helped found the band, contributing vocals and guitars to the group for the majority of his career. Together with Nielsen, McMahon was credited with writing and performing the musical score for Undefeated, the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary feature.

McMahon also performed with former Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos & the Monday Night Band, and was a music producer and engineer with his studio The Midwest Sound. The studio won the RAMI award for Best Recording Studio, according to WTVO.

After he was unable to join Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts on their tour through Mexico, McMahon announced in June that he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, something that he said was “a nearly unheard of occurrence in someone my age.” At the time, he said he would be “taking a medical detour from performing live for a while.” His obituary said “he faced his diagnosis with grace, bravery, and optimism.”

News of his passing was met with an outpouring of tributes from the community, with Mayor Tom McNamara remembering McMahon as “an incredibly kind, fun, bright and talented Rockfordian,” adding, “among many ways he gave back to our community, he was an active and engaged member of the RAVE Board. May he rest in peace.”

McMahon is survived by his parents, Jim and Janet; sister, Rachel McMahon; grandmother Gloria McMahon; and several aunts, uncles, numerous cousins, and his dog Floki. His family said that a “Celebration of Life will be held in the fall following the birth of his niece, who he couldn’t wait to meet.”