R.I.P. to the Ice Man, Jerry Butler

Legendary singer and longtime Cook County Commissioner, Jerry Butler, along with his fellow Impressions (including Curtis Mayfield, of course), helped shape the sound of soul and r&b for generations.

Jerry Butler was born on December 8th, 1939, on the same day as my dad, just four years earlier. In fact, several legends were born on that date. Just this past December, I posted this remembrance:

Crazy to think that all four of these artists were born on December 8th. Crazier that the eldest of the four, the great Jerry Butler, who's 85 today, is the only one still with us.

Craziest of all, though, is that Jim Morrison and my dad were born on the same day and in the same year, 1943.

The Ice Man’s now made it to the other side as well. He struggled with Parkinson’s Disease in the last years of his life and passed away on Thursday evening, February 20th.

I grew up hearing Jerry Butler’s voice emanating from our stereo and car radio with the likes of “For Your Precious Love” and “He Will Break Your Heart.” A little later, it was “Only the Strong Survive” (which I first heard on From Elvis in Memphis), “Hey, Western Union Man,” and his take on “Let it Be Me” with Betty Everett. The Ice Man was smooth, he was suave, he was soul.

The album that took many a spin on our turntable when I was growing up.

With Curtis Mayfield guiding the way, The Impressions (who formed out of the Roosters after Mayfield and Butler joined in 1958), were one of the great R&B hitmakers of the late ‘50s and well into the ‘60s. After Butler left for a solo career, the Impressions kept racking up hit singles as well as becoming a strong voice for the Civil Rights Movement. While Butler’s output in the ‘60s was more hit and miss on the charts, by the latter part of the decade, he rebounded. “Hey, Western Union Man” hit the top 20 in ‘68 followed by “Only the Strong Survive,” which reached number 4 early in ‘69. In ‘71 he had a top 30 hit on the pop charts with the smooth, light funk of “Ain’t Understanding Mellow” with Brenda Lee Eager.

In 1986, Butler shifted gears and became a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where he served until 2018. During his tenure with the board, he was inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. (Not a claim many politicians can make.)

Butler’s music - with and without the Impressions - was a strong part of my musical development as well as my overall character. “Only the Strong Survive” still fills me with that same determination and fighting spirit I developed out of necessity as a kid. Here’s to you, Ice Man. Hope you’re up there singing to Dad, helping him with his rhythm—someone needs to. Maybe the two of you can share a birthday cake this year.

Apple users can access this Jerry Butler Mixtape here.