Jerry Butler earned his nickname, “The Iceman,” not just for his smooth voice but because, in an era where James Brown jumped around the stage, The Temptations moved in unison, and The Supremes cut a rug, Jerry Butler commanded the stage with his voice alone. He would stand center stage and sing like no other.
Most folks associate the R&B group The Impressions with Curtis Mayfield, but the group was
originally known as Jerry Butler & The Impressions, fronted by the baritone singer himself.
Jerry Butler was born on December 8, 1939, in Sunflower, Mississippi, and moved to Chicago at
the age of three, where he spent the rest of his life. He met his eventual bandmate Curtis
Mayfield in a church choir as a teenager, and the two joined the Doo-Wop group The Roosters,
founded by Sam Gooden and brothers Richard & Arthur Brooks. They later changed their name
to The Impressions.
Bottom Row: Richard Brooks, Curtis Mayfield
Their label, Vee-Jay Records, decided on the name Jerry Butler & The Impressions, and their
first single was a bona fide smash. “For Your Precious Love” has become a staple in the R&B
and Soul community. By 1960, Jerry left the group for a solo career, where more hits followed,
including “He Will Break Your Heart.” Many of their songs were written by or with his former
bandmate, Curtis Mayfield.
Later in the 1960s, Butler joined the upstart Philadelphia International team of Kenny Gamble &
Leon Huff, producing more classics like “Never Give You Up,” “Hey, Western Union Man,”
“Only the Strong Survive,” and the duet “Ain’t Understanding Mellow” with Brenda Lee Eager.
He finished the decade with a brief stint at Motown Records.
Jerry also wrote and produced records for Smokey Robinson, The Sylvers, L.T.D., Gene
Chandler, and his younger brother Billy Butler, who performed with Infinity.
In his later years, Butler was often seen in infomercials selling classic soul compilations and
hosting various PBS concerts on Doo-Wop and R&B music. He was also a long-standing
politician, serving as a commissioner on the Cook County Board in Chicago from 1985 until
2018.
Butler recorded over fifteen Billboard Top 40 hits and was awarded three number one R&B hits. As a
member of The Impressions, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003. As a solo artist, he was inducted into the National Rhythm &
Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.
Jerry Butler passed away from Parkinson’s disease on February 20, 2025, at the age of 85.
