DER US-AMERIKANISCHE SOULSÄNGER UND SONGWRITER JERRY «ICEMAN» BUTLER IST GESTORBEN

Der am 8. Dezember 1939 in Sunflower (Mississippi) geborene US-amerikanische Soulsänger und Songschreiber Jerry «Iceman» Butler (Bild) ist am 20. Februar 2025 in Chicago (Illinois) gestorben. Mit seinem Jugendfreund Curtis Mayfield gründete er die Formation The Impressions; gemeinsam mit Otis Redding schrieb er den Hit «I’ve Been Loving You Too Long». Er wurde dreimal für einen Grammy für Gesang und Komposition nominiert, 1991 wurde er mit The Impressions in die Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Die American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) zeichnete ihn mehrfach als Songschreiber aus, vom «Billboard»-Magazin erhielt er zwei Auszeichnungen als Autor und Sänger. Grosse Erfolge konnte er u.a. mit Hits wie «Only The Strong Survive» und «Never Give You Up» auch als Solokünstler feiern. Ab 1985 betätigte sich Butler als Kommunalpolitiker.

Bild: Jerry Butler, 1998 – Foto: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com – Lizenz: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en – Datei: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jerry_Butler_1998.jpg

Jerry Butler’s baritone combined the soaring ecstasy of church, the rumbling rhythms of Chicago and the soul of his native Sunflower, Mississippi. Warm and plush but also cool, it won him the nickname «Iceman.»

The future politician who later served on the County Board became famous performing with the Impressions, which also included Curtis Mayfield. «Their music was the sound of the Civil Rights Movement,» according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Maureen O’Donnell

https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2025/02/21/jerry-butler-iceman-impressions-curtis-mayfield-rock-roll-hall-fame-cook-county-board

Jerry «The Iceman» Butler, the legendary R&B singer and long-time Illinois politician, has passed away at the age of 85.

Butler, best known as the lead singer of the influential R&B group The Impressions alongside Curtis Mayfield, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He later enjoyed a successful solo career, with hits like «Only The Strong Survive» and «Never Give You Up.»

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2530047/jerry-butler-legendary-rb-singer-and-illinois-politician-dies-at-85

Jerry Butler, Impressions Singer and Chicago Politician, Dies at 85

Chicago soul giant Jerry Butler, who succeeded early hits as lead singer of the keystone R&B group Impressions and a notable solo career with years as a Windy City politician, has died, according to the Chicago Sun TImes. No cause of death was announced, although he had suffered from Parkinson’s disease; he was 85.

Alongside singer-guitarist Curtis Mayfield, with whom he had sung in the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers, 19-year-old Butler broke onto the charts in 1958 with the doo-wop-inflected ballad «For Your Precious Love,» by the act initially billed as Jerry Butler and the Impressions. Rolling Stone critic Joe McEwen later wrote, «The song can almost be considered the first soul record.»

Chris Morris

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/jerry-butler-impressions-singer-dead-chicago-politician-1236315232

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

The Mississippi-born, Chicago-raised Butler first sang in his church choir, where he met Curtis Mayfield and, together, formed the first incarnation of the legendary R&B group the Impressions. With Butler as lead vocalist, the Impressions landed a Top 100 hit with «For Your Precious Love» in 1958; the oft-covered single would later appear on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

Daniel Kreps

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/jerry-butler-impressions-singer-chicago-politician-dead-obituary-1235274963

Jerry Butler, Singer Known as the Iceman, Dies at 85

Known for his resounding baritone and his courtly manner, he briefly led the Impressions before beginning a successful solo career, recording hits like «Only the Strong Survive.»

Jim Farber

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/arts/music/jerry-butler-dead.html

Singer and songwriter who had a longstanding partnership with Curtis Mayfield earned the nickname «Iceman» for his cool demeanour

Born to a poor family in Mississippi and then raised in Chicago, Butler originally trained to be a chef – «Jerry could cook like somebody’s mama,» Smokey Robinson later said – but became an influential and versatile musician who came of age as soul music evolved out of doo-wop and mid-century pop.

He brought his gospel music background to bear on one of his earliest songs, For Your Precious Love – named as one of the 500 greatest of all time by Rolling Stone in 2004 – which he wrote and then performed with his group Jerry Butler and the Impressions, taking it to No 11 in the US charts in 1958.

Ben Beaumont-Thomas

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/feb/21/jerry-butler-iceman-soul-singer-illinois-politician-dies-aged-85

Morreu aos 85 anos o cantor Jerry Butler

Era um dos principais cantores de soul dos anos 60 e foi três vezes nomeado para os prémios Grammy. Participou na criação de I’ve Been Loving You Too Long com Otis Redding.

Lusa

https://www.publico.pt/2025/02/22/culturaipsilon/noticia/morreu-85-anos-cantor-jerry-butler-2123498

Il était la voix du groupe de musique soul intronisé au Rock and Roll Hall of Fame en 1991

Jerry Butler, un des principaux chanteurs de soul des années 1960 et ancienne voix du groupe The Impressions, est mort à l’âge de 85 ans à Chicago jeudi 20 février, a appris le Chicago Sun-Times de sa nièce Yolanda Goff. Connu pour sa voix de baryton, il est l’auteur de succès, tels que For Your Precious Love, Only the Strong Survive et Make It Easy on Yourself et était surnommé Jerry «Iceman» Butler pour son style discret.

https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2025/02/21/jerry-butler-figure-de-la-soul-dans-les-annees-1960-et-ancien-chanteur-du-groupe-the-impressions-est-mort-a-l-age-de-85-ans_6557987_3382.html

Der «Iceman» war eine zentrale Figur des Soul – und wirkte mit an Klassikern, die bis heute nachhallen. Sein Einfluss reicht von Chicago bis Philadelphia und weit darüber hinaus

(…) Butler feierte ab den 1960er-Jahren mit seinem charakteristischen Bariton Erfolge mit Songs wie «For Your Precious Love», «Only the Strong Survive» und «Make It Easy On Yourself». Er trat bis zuletzt noch unter seinem Spitznamen Jerry «Iceman» Butler auf, wenn auch nur an Wochenenden. (…)

Als Songwriter arbeitete Butler mit Otis Redding an der Ballade «I’ve Been Loving You Too Long» und mit Gamble und Huff an «Only the Strong Survive», das später unter anderem von Elvis Presley gecovert wurde.

DPA / sme

https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/us-soulsaenger-jerry-butler-mit-85-jahren-gestorben-712487168762

Audios / Videos:

The Impressions – For Your Precious Love