Jerry Butler has died. He was 85.
The R&B singer and longtime Illinois politician’s assistant Marty (and self-proclaimed “niece at heart”) told TMZ Friday that he died at his home in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 20.
“An amazing man has relocated to heaven,” Marty said. “Our loss here on earth.”
Butler died of natural causes, according to his assistant, who also cited his battle with Parkinson’s disease as a contributing factor.
Born on Dec. 8, 1939, in Sunflower, Miss., Butler first rose to fame in 1958, while fronting The Impressions, an R&B ensemble he formed with his good friend at the time, Curtis Mayfield. The group, which he was a member of for several years, saw almost immediate success due in part to a piece written by Butler, “For Your Precious Love,” which went on to be the group’s first gold record, per IMDb.
Butler eventually earned the nickname “The Iceman” during a 1959 performance in which the public address (PA) system failed, but Butler kept singing, wowing the audience with his “smooth and cool” delivery and famous baritone vocals, ultimately resulting in the moniker first coined by WDAS Philadelphia DJ Georgie Woods.
And to think that was really only the beginning of his lengthy career. Even after the group cordially split and Butler flew solo (with Fred Cash taking his spot in The Impressions in 1960), he continued to be a force in the industry and collaborated with some of the biggest artists of the time, like Otis Redding and Betty Everett, and earned three Grammy Award nominations. Some of the biggest hits of his solo career include “He Will Break Your Heart,” “Moon River,” “Only the Strong Survive” and “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Butler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 with the soul group, and later, into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994 – a non-profit organization for which he has served as the Chairman of the Board.
Moving past his success as an artist, Butler became involved in local politics in the mid-1980s and was first elected to the Cook County (Illinois) Board of Commissioners in 1985. He served three four-year terms before pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Governor’s State College in University Park, Illinois.
Along with his professional achievements, Butler was happily married to Annette Smith – his former backup singer – for 60 years before her death in September 2019. The late couple is survived by their sons, Randy and Anthony, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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