Jerry Butler

Jerry "Iceman" Butler, Jr. (December 8, 1939 – February 20, 2025) was an American Hall of Fame singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, television presenter and politician. He was born in Sunflower, Mississippi. He is a guitarist, pianist, drummer and saxophonist. His genres include funk, soul and R&B. He was raised in Cabrini–Green, Chicago.

He was known as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group The Impressions. He served as a Commissioner for Cook County, Illinois, having first been elected in 1985 as a Democrat. He chaired the Health and Hospitals Committee, and served as Vice Chair of the Construction Committee.

In 1991, Butler was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other The Impressions' members.

In his last election, Butler won reelection in March 2014 with over 80 percent of the vote. Butler retired from the board in 2018.

In recent years, he was host of PBS TV music specials such as Doo Wop 50 and 51, Rock Rhythm and Doo Wop, and Soul Spectacular: 40 years of R&B, among others. He has was chairman of the board of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation.

Butler died from problems caused by Parkinson's disease at his home in Chicago, on February 20, 2025, at the age of 85.

References

Other websites
Mississippi musicians: Jerry Butler.  Erica Covin
Jerry Butler Biography on VH1.com 
Jerry Butler on Philly Soul Classics

Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees
Category:1939 births
Category:2025 deaths
Category:American R&B singers
Category:American R&B musicians
Category:American soul musicians
Category:American funk musicians
Category:American pianists
Category:American funk singers
Category:American guitarists
Category:American saxophonists
Category:American drummers
Category:American television presenters
Category:State legislators of the United States
Category:African-American singers
Category:African-American musicians
Category:African-American writers
Category:African-American politicians
Category:Singers from Mississippi
Category:Musicians from Mississippi
Category:Writers from Mississippi
Category:Politicians from Mississippi
Category:Singer-songwriters from Chicago
Category:Musicians from Chicago
Category:Television personalities from Chicago
Category:Politicians from Chicago
Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians
Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease
Category:Disease-related deaths in Chicago