BY: Walker
Published 12 hours ago
Jerry “The Iceman” Butler, a legendary R&B singer and long-time Illinois politician, has died.
TMZ broke the news on Friday after talking to his assistant, Marty. ‘An amazing man has relocated to heaven. Our loss here on earth,’ said the assistant.
The performer had lived in Chicago with his wife Annette, originally one of his backup singers, for decades. She died in 2019.
He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions.
The crooner then went on to have a solo career that included the hit songs He Will Break Your Heart, Let It Be Me and Only the Strong Survive.
Butler – who was born in Mississippi but moved to Chicago – performed in a church choir then joined a gospel quartet.
He became a part of a group called the Roosters which then turned into The Impressions.
The Impressions’ original members were Butler, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Gooden, Fred Cash and brothers Arthur and Richard Brooks.
Other hits include I’m A-Telling You, Only the Strong Survive, Need To Belong, Make It Easy on Yourself, Brand New Me and Never Give You Up.
One of his highlights was co-writing the song For Your Precious Love in 1958 which became a hit.
Butler’s albums The Ice Man Cometh (1968) and Ice on Ice (1969) did well.
He was also in movies.
In 1972, he had a small role in the cult classic film ‘The Thing With Two Heads’ as a prison guard.
In the 1980s he went into politics.
As Cook County Commissioner, Butler voted to uphold a historic 2008 Cook County sales tax increase, which remains the highest in the nation.
In recent years, he has served as host of PBS TV music specials such as Doo Wop 50 and 51, Rock Rhythm and Doo Wop, and Soul Spectacular: 40 years of R&B, among others.
In 1991, Butler was inducted, along with the other original members of the Impressions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
via: Daily Mail
