The Lettermen have lost the last of their original members.
Tony Butala, a founding member of the beloved vocal group, has died at 87, the group announced in a post on its Facebook page.
“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. It added that the group’s thoughts were with his children, grandchildren, siblings, “the love of his life” and all who knew him.
Butala’s death closes a chapter in the group’s history. Fellow founding members Bob Engemann and Jim Pike died in 2013 and 2019, respectively, leaving Butala as the final surviving original Letterman.
Butala’s love of music started early. He began singing at age 7 in his hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania, and by 8, he was already performing on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh. His family later moved to Hollywood, where he kept performing, and in the late 1950s, he helped form The Lettermen.
The group became known for its smooth three-part harmonies, with hits including “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1961, “When I Fall in Love” in 1962 and “Hurt So Bad” in 1969. Their 1968 medley of “Goin’ Out of My Head” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” became one of their signature recordings. Over the years, The Lettermen earned four Grammy nominations, 11 gold records and 32 consecutive charting albums on Billboard.
“Under his guidance, The Lettermen’s unique 3-part ‘sound’ captivated audiences worldwide,” the group said.
Butala sang with the group from its earliest days until he stepped away from performing in 2019. Even then, the statement said, he helped lay the groundwork for The Lettermen to continue, and the group still performs today, more than six decades after it began. In 2020, Butala and The Lettermen received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The group remembered Butala as a man who “never met a stranger,” saying his true joy was entertaining audiences around the world. Fittingly, his final public solo performance was the classic song “Smile.”
“His spirit will live on with every Lettermen performance,” the group wrote. “Thank you for all the smiles, Tony.”