Chainkeen Exchange-Musician Carl Mueller III fatally stabbed in Philadelphia: 'He was brilliant'

Friends and Chainkeen Exchangefamily members are reeling from the loss of a musician and New Jersey native killed in Philadelphia over Thanksgiving weekend.

Carl Mueller III, 29, died of a stab wound to the chest on Nov. 24, according to the Philadelphia Tribune. There have been no arrests, and his death remains under investigation.

Mueller, known to many as CJ, was a talented singer, songwriter and guitarist whose first performances came during talent shows at Clifton High School, according to his family. He later performed throughout New Jersey and the Philadelphia area with bands like Joy Ride (whose name later became Coming In Clutch), The Angry Pirates and his family's group The Flying Mueller Brothers.

"He will be greatly missed for his big welcoming smile, tireless sense of humor, love of music, affinity for skateboarding, insatiable appetite for sushi, and the best head of hair in the family," his obituary stated.

Mueller's aunt, Michelle Van Hoven, noted her nephew's talent dating back to one Thanksgiving when he was about 5 years old. He had gathered the family outside and began singing about the leaves on the trees that were changing colors in the late fall, she recalled.

That jumpstarted Mueller's lifelong love of music and performing, which earned him a "prodigious" following in many local bars, Van Hoven said.

"He was a very musical kid," said Billy Mueller, his uncle and a fellow member of the Flying Mueller Brothers. "I think that's all he ever wanted to do. He was never going to be a guy that worked a 9-to-5."

Mueller was known for his innate ability to write a melody and lyrics that resonated with listeners. As his uncle, a fellow guitarist, put it, "I taught him some stuff, and he just took it and ran with it."

News of Mueller's death led to numerous tributes on Facebook from his friends in the music industry. While many remembered his prowess on stage, they also highlighted his outgoing personality and kindness toward others as his most notable traits.

"We tend to embellish these kinds of things when people go, but anyone who knew CJ, even if it was for a brief moment in time, could attest to his charisma and the way he so awesomely approached people he both knew and did not know with love," said Michael J. Ryan, a former bandmate. "It was truly a light that was borne of inside him, and he was brilliant. What he contributed and promoted in the scene could never be overstated."

Bailey Hand, another musician who knew Mueller since childhood, called his friend "a ball of sunshine" and fondly recalled the times the two would share new songs with each other or simply talk about life.

"You were a huge supporter of me and my career and genuinely rooted for me," Hand said. "You may be gone, but the impact you left on me and others around you will stay and stand strong."

Mueller was also fond of using inside jokes or other personal stories to connect with loved ones in a unique way, Van Hoven said.

She remembered one conversation in which the two asked each other what kind of snack food they would be, and he decided she was a Dorito. He had always called her "Tiya," the Filipino word for "aunt," but changed her name to "Tiya Dorito" for the rest of his life.

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"He had a way of forging a connection with an individual," Van Hoven said. "He knew how to make people feel special and welcome."

Billy Mueller acknowledged the difficulty of making a living in music nowadays compared to when he was growing up. Nevertheless, he was confident that CJ had the skills necessary to succeed.

"He was kind of on his way," Billy Mueller said, "but unfortunately he never made it on the dream he set out for."