Jerry “Iceman” Butler was the original lead singer for The Impressions, who went on to a successful solo career and later became a Chicago politician.
- Died: February 20, 2025 (Who else died on February 20?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Chicago of Parkinson’s disease at the age of 85.
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Jerry Butler’s legacy
Born in Sunflower, Mississippi, Butler moved to Chicago with his family as a young child. His new hometown became a lifelong home base, the place where he launched his musical career and later gave back as a public servant.
Butler was 13 and living in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing project when he met Curtis Mayfield (1942–1999). The two sang together in a church choir, and they soon decided to branch out on their own. Both boys were still in their teens when they joined The Roosters, later renamed The Impressions. Butler became the newly-named group’s first lead singer, inspiring another name change to Jerry Butler & The Impressions. He was a key part of the songwriting of their first hit, 1958’s “For Your Precious Love,” which was based on a poem he wrote in high school.
Butler also sang lead on the group’s follow-up hit, “Come Back My Love,” but soon after its release, he decided he was ready to go it alone, and he left the group. He initially struggled, but after he and Mayfield reunited to write “He Will Break Your Heart,” Butler’s solo career took off. The song went to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was later covered by Tony Orlando & Dawn, for whom the renamed “He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)” became a chart-topping hit.
Butler followed his early success with many other popular singles in the 1960s and ‘70s. They included a cover of “Moon River,” as well as “Make It Easy on Yourself,” “Smile,” “Hey, Western Union Man,” “Ain’t Understanding Mellow,” “Close to You,” and “I Wanna Do It to You.” A career highlight came with “Only the Strong Survive,” a R&B ballad that topped charts, one Butler said was written in part to pay tribute to his fellow musicians. Butler also co-wrote “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” a 1965 hit for Otis Redding (1941–1967). As his career developed, Butler earned the nickname “Iceman,” bestowed on him by a Philadelphia DJ who was impressed by Butler’s smooth voice and stage presence.
Though his hits began to slow down later in the ‘70s, Butler continued to perform for decades. He also embarked on a new career when he was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, representing Chicago, in 1986. He remained on the board for more than 30 years, chairing the Health and Hospitals committee and serving on many other committees, including Criminal Justice, Roads and Bridges, and Finance. In 1991, Butler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Impressions.
Butler on the origin of The Impressions
“We would go in the boys’ room and sing all the latest doo-wops and listen to our voices bounce off the tile and porcelain.” — from his autobiography, “Only the Strong Survive (Memoirs of a Soul Survivor)”
Tributes to Jerry Butler
Full obituary: Chicago Sun-Times
