Jerry Butler (singer)
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Jerry Butler, Jr. (born December 8, 1939 in Sunflower, Mississippi) is an American soul singer also known as "The Ice Man" because of his cool demeanour while singing often intensely emotional lyrics.
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[edit] Musical solace
The mid-1950s had a profound impact on Butler’s life. He grew up poor, having lived in Chicago’s rough and tumble Cabrini Green housing complex. Music and the church provided solace from a city that was as segregated as those in the Deep South.[citation needed] He performed in a church choir with Curtis Mayfield[citation needed]. As a teenager, Butler sang in a gospel quartet called Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers along with Mayfield. Mayfield, a guitar player, became the lone instrumentist for the six-member acappella group, which later became The Impressions. Inspired by music icons Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers, the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi and the Pilgrim Travelers[citation needed], getting into the music business seemed inevitable.
[edit] First recording; first gold record
At age 18, Butler wrote the song, "For Your Precious Love" and wanted to cut a record for it — not necessarily a hit record. Shopping for recording studios, The Impressions auditioned for Chess Records and VeeJay Records, both located on famed Record Row on Chicago's Michigan Avenue between 22nd Street and Roosevelt Road, where all the record distributors and record companies where housed. The group eventually signed with VeeJay, where they released "For Your Precious Love" in 1958, which became The Impressions' first hit to become a gold record.
[edit] Solo career
Butler was dubbed the "Iceman" by a Philadelphia disc jockey while performing in a Philadelphia theater. When the sound system went out, Butler continued singing[citation needed]— staying cool under pressure. However, Butler achieved what eluded many earlier Doo Wop groups during the 1950s and 1960s — longevity. Butler’s solo career had a string of hits, including "He Will Break Your Heart," "Moon River," "Make It Easy On Yourself," "Let It Be Me" (the Everly Brothers classic re-done as a duet with Betty Everett), "Brand New Me," "Ain’t Understanding Mellow," (duet with Brenda Lee Eager), and "Never Gonna Give You Up," followed by two hugely successful albums The Iceman Cometh in 1968 and Ice On Ice in 1970. The Iceman Cometh garnered Butler three Grammy nominations.
Tony Orlando and Dawn revived "He Will Break Your Heart" in 1975, with a new title, "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You),"[citation needed] and it was even more successful than Butler's original, going to number one pop.
[edit] Recent years
Butler continues to perform his classic hit, “For Your Precious Love,” in between his regular gig as Cook County Board Commissioner, where he has served since the 1980s.[citation needed]
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | 1939 births | Living people | African-American singers | African American politicians | Alpha Phi Alpha brothers | Cook County politicians | People from Chicago | Rhythm and blues musicians | People from Mississippi | Soul musicians | Mississippi musicians
