Jerry Butler (musician)
Jerry Butler, Jr. (born December 8, 1939 in Sunflower , Mississippi ) is an American soul singer and songwriter. It was mostly successful in the 1960s and 1970s. He has been a politician since 1985.
biography
Butler grew up in Sunflower, then his family moved to Chicago in 1943 . As a member of a church choir, he first came into contact with singing. There he met Curtis Mayfield , with whom he later worked for years. Both were among the founders of the rhythm and blues vocal group The Roosters in 1957 , which was renamed The Impressions in 1958 . Their first single contained the title For Your Precious Love , written by Buttler at the age of 16 , which was released by the record company Vee-Jay under Jerry Butler and the Impressions with catalog number 280. The title became successful, rose to number 3 in the R&B charts in 1958 and was later awarded the gold record .
Butler left Impressions in 1960 after having released solo records from 1959 onwards. These initially appeared under the Abner label, a subsidiary of Vee-Jay. The first solo single contained the title Lost / One By One and was released under catalog no. Abner 1024. Two of the titles published by Abner, Lost and A Lonely Soldier , have already made it into the R&B charts (17th, 25th). In the course of 1960 Butler was taken over by Vee-Jay, where he brought out about 30 singles records by 1965. Eight of them were listed in the top 50 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B charts. He Will Break Your Heart (1960) and Let It Be Me (1964, duet with Betty Everett ) became number 1 hits on the R&B charts.
In 1966 Butler moved to the Chicago record company Mercury Records . There, too, he had two R&B number 1 hits with Hey, Western Union Man (1968) and Only the Strong Survive (1969). While it was regularly represented in the Billboard Hot 100 until 1972, it was then only listed in the R&B charts, with the exception of the title I Wanna Do It to You (1977, number 51), but until 1982 More than 30 single releases, Butler made another change of record label and in 1976 joined the Motown label in Los Angeles . However, there were only four solo singles and two duet records with Smokey Robinson and Thelma Houston , of which only the titles I Wanna Do It to You and Chalk It Up were successful in the R&B charts (positions 7 and 28). From 1978 to 1980, a few singles appeared on Philadelphia International Records , of which only the 1978 track Cooling Out was reasonably successful (# 14 R&B). 1980 the title Don't Be an Island appeared , which referred to Butler's meanwhile acquired synonym "The Iceman", which he had acquired because of his hypothermic appearance.
After his text success in 1958, Butler continued to be successful as a writer. He was involved as a songwriter in almost all of the hits he sang. His greatest success as a writer was He Don't Love You , which was sung by Tony Orlando & Dawn in 1975 and reached number 1 on the Hot 100. In 1999 Jerry Butler wrote the hot dance number 5 song Was That All It Was, sung by Hannah Jones .
Even after the turn of the millennium, Jerry Butler still performed in night clubs, concerts and music festivals. He was nominated three times for a Grammy for singing and composition, and in 1991 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Impressions . The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has honored him several times as a songwriter, and from Billboard magazine he received two awards as an author and singer.
After having run a beer publishing company in addition to his artistic activities since 1973, Butler has been involved in local politics in Cook County in the state of Illinois since 1985 as the elected commissioner responsible for prisoners and health care. He still held this post in 2010, making it Cook County's longest-serving commissioner.
Jerry's younger brother Billy Butler also had some minor hits from the mid-1960s to the 1970s and worked with him as a songwriter.
Discography
Albums
year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, comments, catalog number) |
Remarks | Catalog no. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | R&B | ||||
1964 | Delicious Together Betty Everett & Jerry Butler |
US102 (11 weeks) US |
- | Vee-jay 1099 | |
1967 | The Soul Artistry of Jerry Butler | - |
R&B23 (2 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 21105 | |
Mr. Dream Merchant |
US154 (7 weeks) US |
- | Mercury 61146 | ||
1968 | Jerry Butler's Golden Hits Live |
US178 (2 weeks) US |
R&B40 (6 weeks) R&B |
Recorded live in September 1967 at Morgan State College , Baltimore
|
Mercury 61151 |
The Soul Goes On |
US195 (2 weeks) US |
R&B25 (9 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61171 | ||
1969 | The Ice Man Cometh |
US29 (47 weeks) US |
R&B2 (50 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61198 | |
Ice on Ice |
US41 (23 weeks) US |
R&B4 (30 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61234 | ||
1970 | You & Me |
US172 (4 weeks) US |
R&B10 (17 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61269 | |
The Best of Jerry Butler |
US167 (5 weeks) US |
R&B31 (12 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61281 | ||
1971 | Jerry Butler Sings Assorted Sounds |
US186 (4 weeks) US |
R&B25 (10 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61320 | |
Gene & Jerry - One & One Gene Chandler & Jerry Butler |
US143 (5 weeks) US |
- |
Duet album
|
Mercury 61330 | |
The Sagittarius Movement |
US123 (22 weeks) US |
R&B25 (25 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 61347 | ||
1972 | The Spice of Life |
US92 (24 weeks) US |
R&B17 (19 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 7502 [2] | |
1973 | The Love We Have, the Love We Had Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager |
- |
R&B43 (14 weeks) R&B |
Duet album
|
Mercury 660 |
Power of Love | - |
R&B22 (14 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 689 | ||
1974 | Sweet Sixteen | - |
R&B55 (3 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 1006 | |
1976 | Love's on the menu | - |
R&B49 (6 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 850 | |
1977 | The Vintage Years The Impressions featuring Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield |
US199 (2 weeks) US |
- |
Best-of-album
4-track LP with 13 songs from Impressions, 13 from Butler and 2 from Mayfield |
Sire 3717 [2] |
Suite for the single girl |
US146 (11 weeks) US |
R&B22 (15 weeks) R&B |
Motown 878 | ||
Thelma & Jerry Thelma Houston & Jerry Butler |
US53 (12 weeks) US |
R&B20 (11 weeks) R&B |
Duet album
|
Motown 887 | |
1978 | Nothing Says I Love You Like I Love You |
US160 (4 weeks) US |
R&B42 (12 weeks) R&B |
Philadelphia Int. 35510 | |
1980 | The best love | - |
R&B71 (3 weeks) R&B |
Philadelphia Int. 36413 | |
1982 | Ice 'n Hot | - |
R&B60 (3 weeks) R&B |
Fountain 821 | |
1992 | Time & Faith | - |
R&B92 (1 week) R&B |
Ichiban 1151 |
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
Singles
year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes, catalog number) |
Remarks | Catalog no. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | R&B | ||||
1958 | For Your Precious Love Jerry Butler, Esq. |
US11 (12 weeks) US |
R&B3 (7 weeks) R&B |
Jerry Butler and the Impressions
Authors: A. Brooks, R. Brooks , J. Butler Place 327 of the Rolling Stone 500 (2004) |
Abner 1013 |
Come Back My Love Jerry Butler, Esq. |
- |
R&B29 (1 week) R&B |
Abner 1017 | ||
1959 | Lost Jerry Butler, Esq. |
- |
R&B17 (3 weeks) R&B |
Authors: A. Tucker, T. Twiggs, C. Bateza
|
Abner 1024 |
1960 | A Lonely Soldier He Will Break Your Heart |
- |
R&B25 (4 weeks) R&B |
Authors: C. Mayfield , J. Butler
|
Abner 1035 |
He Will Break Your Heart He Will Break Your Heart |
US7 (15 weeks) US |
R&B1 (16 weeks) R&B |
Authors: J. Butler, C. Mayfield, Calvin Carter
7 weeks at number 1 on the R&B charts |
Vee-jay 354 | |
1961 | Find Another Girl Aware of Love |
US27 (10 weeks) US |
R&B10 (11 weeks) R&B |
Authors: C. Mayfield, J. Butler
|
Vee-jay 375 |
I'm a Telling You Aware of Love |
US25 (8 weeks) US |
R&B8 (9 weeks) R&B |
Authors: J. Butler, C. Mayfield
|
Vee-Jay 390 | |
Moon River Need to Belong |
US11 (17 weeks) US |
R&B14 (6 weeks) R&B |
Vee-jay 405 | ||
1962 | Make It Easy on Yourself Need to Belong |
US20 (11 weeks) US |
R&B18 (2 weeks) R&B |
Vee-jay 451 | |
You Can Run (But You Can't Hide) Need to Belong |
US63 (7 weeks) US |
R&B23 (5 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Paul Griffin, D. Covay
|
Vee-jay 463 | |
Theme from Taras Bulba (The Wishing Star) Taras Bulba (Original Film Soundtrack) |
US100 (1 week) US |
- | Vee-jay 475 | ||
1963 | Whatever You Want Need to Belong |
US68 (6 weeks) US |
- | Vee-jay 486 | |
Need to Belong Need to Belong |
US31 (11 weeks) US |
R&B2 (15 weeks) R&B |
Author: C. Mayfield
|
Vee-jay 567 | |
1964 | Giving Up on Love Need to Belong |
US56 (6 weeks) US |
R&B17 (14 weeks) R&B |
Authors: R. Gottehrer , J. Goldstein , Bob Feldman
|
Vee-jay 588 |
I Stand Accused More of the Best of Jerry Butler |
US61 (6 weeks) US |
R&B3 (18 weeks) R&B |
Authors: B. Butler , J. Butler
|
Vee-jay 598 | |
I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore More of the Best of Jerry Butler |
US95 (2 weeks) US |
- |
Author: Randy Newman Published
as B-side by I Stand Accused |
||
Let It Be Me Delicious Together |
US5 (13 weeks) US |
R&B1 (17 weeks) R&B |
Betty Everett & Jerry Butler
Authors: G. Bécaud , P. Delanoë , M. Curtis 1960 a hit for the Everly Brothers , Original: Bécaud (1955) as Je t'appartiens |
Vee-jay 613 | |
Ain't That Loving You Baby Delicious Together |
- |
R&B24 (2 weeks) R&B |
Betty Everett & Jerry Butler
: Original / author J. Reed (1955, No. 3 R & B) as a B-side of Let It Be Me published |
||
Smile More of the Best of Jerry Butler |
US42 (7 weeks) US |
R&B16 (8 weeks) R&B |
Betty Everett & Jerry Butler
Music: C. Chaplin for the film Modern Times (1936); Text: John Turner, Geoffrey Parsons |
Vee-jay 633 | |
1965 | Good Times |
US64 (4 weeks) US |
R&B33 (5 weeks) R&B |
Author: Ted Daryll
|
Vee-jay 651 |
Just for you | - |
R&B33 (3 weeks) R&B |
Author: JD Jones
|
Vee-jay 707 | |
1966 | For Your Precious Love (new version) Love Me |
US99 (2 weeks) US |
R&B25 (7 weeks) R&B |
Authors: A. Brooks, R. Brooks , J. Butler
|
Vee-jay 715 |
Love (Oh, How Sweet It Is) | - |
R&B34 (7 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Bobby Miller, B. Butler, J. Butler
|
Mercury 72592 | |
1967 | I Dig You Baby Soul Artistry |
US60 (9 weeks) US |
R&B8 (10 weeks) R&B |
Original: Lorraine Ellison ; Authors L. Ellison, D. Lambert , Samuel Bell
|
Mercury 72648 |
Mr. Dream Merchant Mr. Dream Merchant |
US38 (7 weeks) US |
R&B23 (7 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 72721 | ||
1968 | Lost Mr. Dream Merchant |
US62 (6 weeks) US |
R&B15 (10 weeks) R&B |
not identical to the song from 1959
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff , J. Butler |
Mercury 72764 |
Never Give You Up The Ice Man Cometh |
US20 (14 weeks) US |
R&B4 (16 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Mercury 72798 | |
Hey, Western Union Man The Ice Man Cometh |
US16 (13 weeks) US |
R&B1 (13 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Mercury 72850 | |
Are You Happy The Ice Man Cometh |
US39 (10 weeks) US |
R&B9 (9 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Theresa Bell, J. Butler, K. Gamble
|
Mercury 72876 | |
1969 | Only the Strong Survive The Ice Man Cometh |
US4th
gold
(13 weeks)US |
R&B1 (14 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Mercury 72898 |
Moody Woman Ice on Ice |
US24 (10 weeks) US |
R&B3 (12 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, T. Bell , J. Butler
|
Mercury 72929 | |
What's the Use of Breaking Up Ice on Ice |
US20 (10 weeks) US |
R&B4 (12 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, T. Bell, J. Butler
|
Mercury 72960 | |
Don't Let Love Hang You Up Ice on Ice |
US44 (8 weeks) US |
R&B12 (7 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Mercury 72991 | |
1970 | Got to See If I Can't Get Mommy (To Come Back Home) Ice on Ice |
US62 (5 weeks) US |
R&B21 (7 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Helen Miller, Rose Marie McCoy
|
Mercury 73015 |
I Could Write a Book You & Me |
US46 (5 weeks) US |
R&B15 (6 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Mercury 73045 | |
Where Are You Going Joe (Soundtrack) |
US95 (1 week) US |
R&B42 (2 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 73101 | ||
Special Memory Assorted Sounds with the Aid of Assorted Friends and Relatives |
- |
R&B36 (5 weeks) R&B |
Authors: J. Butler, B. Butler, Larry Wade
|
Mercury 73131 | |
1971 | You Just Can't Win (By Making the Same Mistakes) Gene & Jerry - One & One |
US94 (3 weeks) US |
R&B32 (4 weeks) R&B |
Gene & Jerry
Authors: Ronald Simmons, Walter Simmons, Wylie Dixon |
Mercury 73163 |
If It's Real What I Feel Assorted Sounds with the Aid of Assorted Friends and Relatives |
US69 (... weeks) US |
R&B8 (11 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 73169 | ||
Ten and Two (Take This Woman off the Corner) Gene & Jerry - One & One |
- |
R&B44 (2 weeks) R&B |
Gene & Jerry
Authors: Ronald Simmons, Walter Simmons, Wylie Dixon |
Mercury 73195 | |
How Did We Lose It Baby Assorted Sounds with the Aid of Assorted Friends and Relatives |
US85 (3 weeks) US |
R&B38 (4 weeks) R&B |
Authors: B. Butler, Charles Jones
|
Mercury 73210 | |
Walk Easy My Son The Sagittarius Movement |
US93 (2 weeks) US |
R&B33 (8 weeks) R&B |
Author: C. Jackson
|
Mercury 73241 | |
Ain't Understanding Mellow The Sagittarius Movement |
US21st
gold
(18 weeks)US |
R&B3 (17 weeks) R&B |
featuring Brenda Lee Eager
Authors: Homer Talbert, Herscholt Polk |
Mercury 73255 | |
1972 | I Only Have Eyes for You The Spice of Life |
US85 (4 weeks) US |
R&B20 (8 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 73290 | |
(They Long to Be) Close to You The Spice of Life |
US91 (3 weeks) US |
R&B6 (13 weeks) R&B |
Mercury 73301 | ||
One Night Affair The Spice of Life |
US52 (7 weeks) US |
R&B6 (10 weeks) R&B |
Original: The O'Jays (1969); Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff
|
Mercury 73335 | |
1973 | Can't Understand It The Love We Have, The Love We Had |
- |
R&B26 (10 weeks) R&B |
featuring Brenda Lee Eager
Authors: C. Jackson, Marvin Yancy |
Mercury 73395 |
The Love We Had Stays on My Mind The Love We Have, The Love We Had |
- |
R&B64 (7 weeks) R&B |
featuring Brenda Lee Eager
Authors: Larry Wade, T. Callier |
Mercury 73422 | |
Power of Love Power of Love |
- |
R&B15 (13 weeks) R&B |
Authors: J. Butler, J. Bristol
|
Mercury 73443 | |
1974 | That's How Heartaches Are Made Power of Love |
- |
R&B58 (9 weeks) R&B |
Original: Baby Washington (1963); Authors: Ben Raleigh, Bob Halley
|
Mercury 73459 |
Take the Time to Tell Her Sweet Sixteen |
- |
R&B46 (11 weeks) R&B |
Authors: J. Butler, Marvin Yancy
|
Mercury 73495 | |
Playing on You Sweet Sixteen |
- |
R&B33 (13 weeks) R&B |
Authors: L. Hutson , Zane Gray
|
Mercury 73629 | |
1976 | The Devil in Mrs. Jones Love’s on the Menu |
- |
R&B55 (6 weeks) R&B |
Author: Michael Smith
|
Motown 1403 |
1977 | I Wanna Do It to You Suite for the Single Girl |
US51 (11 weeks) US |
R&B7 (16 weeks) R&B |
Authors: J. Butler, Homer Talbert, Patricia Henley
|
Motown 1414 |
Chalk It Up Suite for the Single Girl |
- |
R&B28 (12 weeks) R&B |
Author: Paul Wilson
|
Motown 1421 | |
It's a Lifetime Thing Thelma & Jerry |
- |
R&B84 (3 weeks) R&B |
Thelma Houston & Jerry Butler
Authors: Keithen Carter, Michael Ward |
Motown 1422 | |
1978 | (I'm Just Thinking About) Cooling Out Nothing Says I Love You Like I Love You |
- |
R&B14 (17 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Philadelphia Int. 3656 |
1979 | Nothing Says I Love You Like I Love You Nothing Says I Love You Like I Love You |
- |
R&B86 (2 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff, J. Butler
|
Philadelphia Int. 3673 |
1980 | The Best Love I Ever Had The Best Love |
- |
R&B49 (9 weeks) R&B |
Authors: K. Gamble, L. Huff
|
Philadelphia Int. 3746 |
Don't Be an Island The Best Love |
- |
R&B75 (4 weeks) R&B |
Jerry “The Iceman” Butler featuring Debra Henry of “Silk”
Author: Keith Echols |
Philadelphia Int. 3113 | |
1982 | No Love Without Changes Ice 'n Hot |
- |
R&B83 (4 weeks) R&B |
Authors: Phillip Brown, Rufus Hill
|
Fountain 400 |
1983 | In My Life | - |
R&B92 (3 weeks) R&B |
Patti Austin with Jerry Butler
Author: P. Austin |
CTI 59 |
More singles
- I Was Wrong (1959)
- Silent Night (1960)
- Isle of Sirens (1962)
- I Almost Lost My Mind (1963)
- Where's the Girl (1963)
- A Woman with Soul (1963)
- Since I Don't Have You (1965)
- I Can't Stand to See You Cry (1965)
- You Make Me Feel like Someone (1966)
- You Walked into My Life (1967)
- You Don't Know What You Got Until You Lose It (1967)
- Let's Make Love (1979)
Songwriting
Chart songs by other artists that Jerry Butler was involved in as a writer:
- I've Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding (1965, with O. Redding, 110th place in the Rolling Stone 500 )
- It Ain't Necessary by Mamie Galore (1966, with Council Gay and Sylvester Potts)
- Yes, My Goodness, Yes by Al Perkins (1969, with Bobby Womack and Jimmy Holiday)
- Just as Long as You Need Me by the Independents (1972, with Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy)
- Memories Don't Leave like People Do by Johnny Bristol (1974, with J. Bristol, James Dean and John Glover)
- He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) by Dawn (1975, with Calvin Carter and Curtis Mayfield, # 1 in USA )
- You by Aretha Franklin (1976, with Marvin Yancy and Randy Stewart)
- Was That All It Was by Hannah Jones (1999, with Linda Conlon and John Usry)
swell
- ↑ a b Jerry Butler in the US charts (Billboard)
- ↑ US Billboard 200: Joel Whitburn : Joel Whitburn presents the Billboard Albums . 6th edition. Billboard Books, New York 2006, ISBN 0-89820-166-7 . / US R&B albums: Joel Whitburn : Joel Whitburn's Top R&B Albums 1965–1998 . Billboard Books, New York 1999, ISBN 0-89820-134-9 .
- ↑ US Hot 100: Joel Whitburn : Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2006 . Billboard Books, New York 2007, ISBN 0-89820-172-1 . / US R&B singles: Joel Whitburn : Joel Whitburn presents Hot R&B Songs 1942-2010 . Billboard Books, New York 2011, ISBN 0-89820-186-1 .
- ↑ Jerry Butler in the RIAA gold / platinum database (USA)
literature
- Irwin Stambler: The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul , St. Martin's Press, New York 1989, pp. 89-91, ISBN 0-312-02573-4
- Frank Laufenberg: Rock- und Poplexikon Vol. 1 , Econ Taschenbuch Verlag, Düsseldorf 1998, p. 213, ISBN 3-612-26206-8
Web links
- Jerry Butler at Allmusic (English)
- Biography at chicagoreader.com
- Discography at soulfulkindamusic.net
- Jerry Butler at Music VF.com
- Jerry Butler on the official Cook County Government website
- Jerry Butler at Discogs (English)
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Butler, Jerry |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Iceman (nickname); Butler, Jerry junior (full name) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American soul singer, composer and politician |
DATE OF BIRTH | December 8, 1939 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Sunflower , Mississippi , United States |