Tony Butala, Founding Singer of The Lettermen, Dies at 87

Tony Butala, a founding member of The Lettermen and the lead voice of the group for six decades, has died at 87. The Lettermen announced his death in a statement shared on the group's Facebook page on November 1. The statement gave no date or cause of death.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the recent passing of Tony Butala, founding member of the international recording artists 'The Lettermen,' and recipient of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame," the statement read. The group's thoughts, it said, were with his children, grandchildren, siblings and the love of his life.

Butala was the last surviving founding member of the trio. Bob Engemann died in 2013 and Jim Pike died in 2019.

A singer from childhood

Anthony Francis Butala was born on November 20, 1938, in Sharon, Pennsylvania, the eighth of 11 children. He started singing at the age of 7 in his hometown, and by 8 he was performing on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh. His family later moved to Hollywood, and he kept performing.

In the late 1950s he helped form The Lettermen. He stayed with the group as its lead singer until he stepped away from performing in 2019.

The sound and the hits

The Lettermen built their name on close three-part harmonies over light arrangements. Their best known recordings include "The Way You Look Tonight" in 1961, "When I Fall in Love" in 1962 and "Hurt So Bad" in 1969. A 1968 medley of "Goin' Out of My Head" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" became one of their signature records.

The group placed 32 consecutive albums on the Billboard chart, earned 11 gold records and received four Grammy nominations. "Under his guidance, The Lettermen's unique 3-part 'sound' captivated audiences worldwide," the group said in its statement.

In February 2020, Butala and The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The group plays on

Butala stopped performing in 2019, but the group said he helped lay the groundwork for The Lettermen to continue under new leadership, and the trio still performs today. The group said he never met a stranger and that his true joy was entertaining audiences around the world. His final public solo performance was the song "Smile."

"His spirit will live on with every Lettermen performance," the group wrote. "Thank you for all the smiles, Tony."

In recent years Butala made his home in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. In line with his wishes, there will be no public viewing, and celebrations of his life are planned in Wisconsin and California. His family has suggested donations in his memory to the Lakeshore Humane Society in Manitowoc.