Tony Butala, co-founder of Lettermen vocal group known for 'The Way You
Look Tonight,' dies at 87
[November 04, 2026]
By MARIA SHERMAN
NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Butala, co-founder of the Grammy-nominated trio The
Lettermen, whose lush vocal harmonies made them one of the most popular
vocal groups of the 1960s, died Sunday. He was 87.
The band's media coordinator, Tracy Clark, confirmed Butala's death to
The Associated Press. She shared an official statement from the band.
“We have lost an integral member of The Lettermen family,” it read. “It
is with profound sadness that we announce the recent passing of Tony
Butala, founding member of the international recording artists ‘The
Lettermen,’ and recipient of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Our
most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with his children,
grandchildren, siblings, the love of his life, the entire Lettermen
organization and all who knew and loved him.”
A cause of death was not provided.
There will be no public viewing. Details for celebrations of life held
in Wisconsin and California will be announced at a later date.
Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, in 1938, Butala's career started in
childhood. He started singing professionally at age 7, on KDKA Radio in
Pittsburgh at age 8 and by age 10, he moved with his mother to Los
Angeles, where he joined the Mitchell Boys Choir and appeared in classic
films like “White Christmas,” “Peter Pan,” “War of the Worlds” and “On
Moonlight Bay.”
In the late ‘50s, Butala co-founded The Lettermen alongside Jim Pike and
Bob Engemann. The hits quickly followed: They had their first with their
version of Fred Astaire’s “The Way You Look Tonight” in 1961, which
peaked at No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100. It was nominated for a Grammy
in 1962. At that award show, they also received the coveted best new
artist nomination.
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Tony Butala, a founding member of the pop vocal group The Lettermen,
poses atop the group's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame following
a ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello,
File)
 Over the course of the next decade,
The Lettermen would place 19 more songs on Billboard charts.
Two made the Top 10, 1962’s “When I Fall in Love” and the
Grammy-nominated 1968 medley “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My
Eyes off You.” Their last hit was 1971’s “Everything is Good About
You.”
The beloved group toured constantly, playing colleges across the
country and venues around the world.
Butala was the last surviving member of the trio's original lineup:
Pike died in 2019 at age 82. The cause was complications of
Parkinson’s disease. Engemann died in 2013.
Across its many decades, The Lettermen has had various lineups,
replacing members who left but always remaining a trio to keep its
distinctive three-part sound alive. The current lineup is made up of
Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton and Rob Gulack.
Butala stepped away from performing in 2019. And in 2020, Butala and
The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Tony never met a stranger,” the official band statement continued.
“His life was a living example of talent, perseverance, and
refinement. But above all, his true joy was entertaining and sharing
his music with audiences worldwide.”
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