He was 87. NEW YORK — Tony Butala, co-founder of the Grammy-nominated trio The Lettermen, whose lush vocal harmonies made them one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s, died Sunday.
13 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was nominated for a Grammy in 1962. Butala stepped away from performing in 2019. And in 2020, Butala and The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame .
The band’s media coordinator, Tracy Clark, confirmed Butala’s death to The Associated Press. She shared an official statement from the band. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the recent passing of Tony Butala, founding member of the international recording artists ‘The Lettermen,’ and recipient of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Our most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with his children, grandchildren, siblings, the love of his life, the entire Lettermen organization and all who knew and loved him. In the late ‘50s, Butala co-founded The Lettermen alongside Jim Pike and Bob Engemann. At that award show, they also received the coveted best new artist nomination. “His life was a living example of talent, perseverance, and refinement. But above all, his true joy was entertaining and sharing his music with audiences worldwide.”
“We have lost an integral member of The Lettermen family,” it read. The hits quickly followed: They had their first with their version of Fred Astaire’s “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1961, which peaked at No. “Tony never met a stranger,” the official band statement continued.
