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Tony Butala, Co-Founder of Lettermen Vocal Group Known for 'The Way You Look Tonight,' Dies at 87
The Grammy-nominated trio’s lush harmonies made The Lettermen a top vocal group of the 1960s.
- Tony Butala, co-founder of the Grammy-nominated vocal trio The Lettermen, died Sunday at 87. Band media coordinator Tracy Clark confirmed the cause was complications from Parkinson's disease.
- Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, Butala began singing professionally at age 7 before joining the Mitchell Boys Choir. In the late 1950s, he co-founded The Lettermen alongside Jim Pike and Bob Engemann.
- The group became a 1960s pop staple, scoring hits like 1961's "The Way You Look Tonight" and the 1968 medley "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes off You." In 2020, Butala and The Lettermen received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
- Butala stepped away from performing in 2019, though The Lettermen continues with current members Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton, and Rob Gulack. The group maintains its distinctive three-part harmony sound.
- There will be no public viewing for the singer. Celebrations of life will be held in Wisconsin and California, with details to be announced at a later date.
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Last Surviving Founding Member of Iconic 60s Vocal Group Dead at 87
Singer Tony Butala of The Lettermen performs onstage at the 2010 Person of the Year honoring Placido Domingo at the Mandalay Bay Events Center inside the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on November 10, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/WireImage) The Lettermen say goodbye to founding member Tony Butala, who passed away at 87.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left8Leaning Right2Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Left
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources lean Left
47% Left
L 47%
C 41%
12%
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