When it comes to music legends, they don’t get much bigger than the great singer and songwriter and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Jerry “The Iceman” Butler.
Jerry Butler has done it all. The Mississippi-born, Chicago-raised singer was the original lead singer of the legendary Chicago singing group The Impressions, which he formed with another future star, Curtis Mayfield.
The Impressions first made their own impression on the world with a Butler composition, the beautiful ballad “For Your Precious Love.” Butler left the group in the early 60s to pursue a solo career, and he became an R&B star, boasting over four dozen chart hits over the next two decades. “He Will Break Your Heart,” “Make It Easy On Yourself,” “Ain’t Understanding Mellow” and, of course, “Only The Strong Survive,” all became huge hits. Butler also wrote for other artists, including the iconic Otis Redding song, “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.”
By the 1980s, Butler was taking on another role: that of County Commissioner in his home of Cook County, Illinois, a role he kept for three decades, retiring in 2018. But he didn’t forget his musical roots, performing from time to time and hosting a series of PBS TV music specials that highlighted legacy music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
By Chris Rizik
