Tony Butala of The Lettermen Dead at 87: His Incredible Life, From Child Star to Harmony Legend

Tony Butala, co-founder of the Grammy-nominated vocal trio The Lettermen, died Sunday at 87. It closes the book on one of the most charming American music stories of the last century: a kid from Sharon, Pennsylvania, who started singing professionally at 7, worked KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh at 8, and found his way into the Mitchell Boys Choir in Los Angeles. That choir put him in films like“White Christmas”and“War of the Worlds”before he ever hit his teens.

In the late 1950s, Butala teamed with Jim Pike and Bob Engemann to form The Lettermen. Their 1961 version of“The Way You Look Tonight”peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination. From there: 20 songs on the Billboard charts, Top 10 hits like“When I Fall in Love,”and the beloved 1968 medley“Goin’Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes off You.”Butala was the last surviving member of the original lineup; Pike died in 2019 and Engemann in 2013. He stepped away from performing in 2019, and The Lettermen continue today with Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton and Rob Gulack. No public viewing is planned, with celebrations of life to be announced in Wisconsin and California.

Butala once said he never stopped, and the numbers back it up. What’s your favorite harmony group of all time? Drop it in the comments and we’ll build a playlist.