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The Lettermen’s Tony Butala Dies at 87
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.
In short
- 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.