Tony Butala, Last Original Lettermen Member, Dies at 87
The child star and co-founder of the 1960s vocal trio has passed away, leaving the group without any surviving members from its founding lineup.
By Allison Rojas ·
Tony Butala, a founding member of the Grammy-nominated vocal trio The Lettermen, died Sunday at the age of 87. The group’s media coordinator, Tracy Clark, confirmed the death to The Associated Press. A statement released by the band called Butala an "integral member" and noted his status as a recipient of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, in 1938, Butala began his career in early childhood. He sang professionally at age 7 and appeared on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh at age 8. By age 10, he had moved to Los Angeles with his mother, where he joined the Mitchell Boys Choir. He later appeared in films including "White Christmas," "Peter Pan," "War of the Worlds," and "On Moonlight Bay."
In the late 1950s, Butala co-founded The Lettermen with Jim Pike and Bob Engemann. The group achieved its first hit in 1961 with a cover of Fred Astaire’s "The Way You Look Tonight," which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. That recording earned a Grammy nomination in 1962, the same year the trio received a nomination for best new artist.
Over the following decade, the group placed 19 additional songs on the Billboard charts. Two of those tracks reached the Top 10: "When I Fall in Love" in 1962 and a 1968 medley of "Goin’ Out of My Head" and "Can’t Take My Eyes off You." The group’s final chart entry was "Everything is Good About You" in 1971. The trio toured extensively, performing at universities across the United States and venues internationally.
Butala was the last surviving member of the original trio. Engemann died in 2013, and Pike died in 2019 at age 82 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. The group has maintained its three-part sound by replacing departing members over the years. The current lineup consists of Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton, and Rob Gulack. Butala stepped away from performing in 2019.
In 2020, Butala and the group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band’s statement described his life as an example of talent and perseverance, noting that his primary joy was sharing his music with audiences worldwide. No cause of death was provided, and there will be no public viewing. Details for celebrations of life in Wisconsin and California will be announced later.
