Get the latest gossip

Jerry Butler, Iconic R&B Singer and Longtime Chicago Politician, Dead at 85

Jerry Butler, the original lead singer of the Impressions, R&B hit-maker and Chicago politician, has died at the age of 85.

Jerry Butler, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and original lead singer of the Impressions who later embarked on a successful career as a solo artist and a Chicago politician, has died at the age of 85. “The spiritual tenor of the vocals came from the Impressions’ church roots; Butler and Curtis Mayfield had sung together in the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers,” Rolling Stone wrote of “For Your Precious Love. As a solo artist, Butler, dubbed “the Iceman” for his cool onstage demeanor, scored dozens of R&B hits throughout the Sixties, including “He Will Break Your Heart,” “Make It Easy on Yourself,” a rendition of “Moon River,” “Let It Be Me,” “Hey, Western Union Man,” and 1969’s “Only the Strong Survive,” which Bruce Springsteen recently covered for his 2022 album of the same name.

Get the Android app