# The Lettermen’s Tony Butala Dies at 87

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-lettermens-tony-butala-dies-at-87/
- Published: 2026-11-03T23:13:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T23:40:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Billboard
- Original article: https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/tony-butala-death-lettermen-1236373500/

## Key points

- Tony Butala, founding Lettermen member, has died aged 87.
- The group had 20 Hot 100 hits, including two that reached No. 7.
- Butala received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star with the group in 2020.

## Summary

Tony Butala, founding member and last surviving original member of vocal trio The Lettermen, has died aged 87. His death marks the loss of a central figure in a group whose smooth harmonies and romantic standards became a fixture of American pop music.

Butala died on Sunday 1 November; no cause was given. The Lettermen scored 20 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including six top 20 songs, with “When I Fall in Love” and “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” both reaching No. 7. The group received four Grammy nominations and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2020; Butala had stepped back from performing in 2019.

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