# Last Surviving Founding Member of Iconic 60s Vocal Group Dead at 87

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/last-surviving-founding-member-of-iconic-60s-vocal-group-dead-at-87/
- Published: 2026-11-03T17:04:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T17:32:11+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/last-surviving-founding-member-of-iconic-60s-vocal-group-dead-at-87/

## Key points

- Tony Butala helped found The Lettermen.
- He performed with the group until 2019.
- The group says his work secured its future.

## Summary

Tony Butala, the last surviving founding member of vocal group The Lettermen, has died aged 87. He helped establish the group’s long-running career, and members said his leadership and planning helped it continue performing for more than six decades.

Born in 1938, Butala began singing on Pittsburgh radio aged eight and performed with The Lettermen from the late 1950s until 2019. The group earned hit albums and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; after retiring, Butala helped lay the groundwork for its future leadership. He is remembered by the group, fans and those he mentored.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.