The Lettermen co-founder, Tony Butala, died Sunday, Nov. 1, at the age of 87.
Tracy Clark, the band’s media coordinator, confirmed his death to The Associated Press with a statement, saying, “We have lost an integral member of The Lettermen family.”
“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.
“Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with his children, grandchildren, siblings, the love of his life, the entire Lettermen organization and all who knew and loved him.”
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A cause of death was not disclosed, and there will be no public viewing. Details about celebrations of life in both Wisconsin and California will be announced at a later date.
He co-founded The Lettermen in the late 1950s with Jim Pike and Bob Engemann, and the group released its first hit, a rendition of Fred Astaire’s “The Way You Look Tonight,” in 1961, which earned the trio a Grammy nomination.
The band recorded 20 hits that reached the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned four Grammy Award nominations.
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Butala remained a member of the group for over 60 years, releasing hits such as “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes off You,” “Everything Is Good About You,” “Come Back Silly Girl,” “Theme from a Summer Place” and “Hurt So Bad.”
He retired from performing with the band in 2019, the same year Pike died at the age of 82 from complications related to Parkinson’s Disease. Engemann died in 2013.
A year after retiring, Butala attended the ceremony honoring the band with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After his retirement, the band continued on with new faces, and the current lineup includes Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton and Rob Gulack.
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“Tony never met a stranger,” the official band statement continued. “His life was a living example of talent, perseverance, and refinement. But, above all, his true joy was entertaining and sharing his music with audiences worldwide.”
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Butala began his professional singing career as a child, performing on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh at the age of 8 and moving to Los Angeles with his mother at 10 to further his career.
Once in Los Angeles, Butala joined the Mitchell Boys Choir, and it appeared in classic films like “White Christmas,” “Peter Pan,” “War of the Worlds” and “On Moonlight Bay.”