Butler’s dignified carriage and unflappable demeanor are what earned him the nickname “The Ice Man.” Coined 50 years ago by WDAS Philadelphia DJ George Woods and later shortened to simply “Iceman,” the name is a product of a 1959 performance in Philadelphia where the public address system went out and Butler kept singing, holding the audience and filling the theater with his big baritone.īorn in Sunflower, Mississippi, in 1939, Butler was brought to Chicago by his parents three years later as they sought wartime jobs as part of the Great Migration. Yet today Butler is more of a connoisseur’s choice, not heard on the radio, even on oldies and dusties stations, as often as those other artists. There was a time, back in the late 60s, when Jerry Butler was one of the biggest stars in soul music, a creative collaborator to icons including Curtis Mayfield and Otis Redding in an era that also found Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Diana Ross and The Supremes, and The Temptations at or near the peak of their careers. Today, he mulls taxes and healthcare as the longest-serving member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. Jerry Butler is a talented individual with a background of huge musical hits and a promising future in politics.Jerry “Iceman” Butler was an A-list soul singer, playing with Curtis Mayfield and Otis Redding. Throughout his life, Jerry Butler has achieved great success and continues to do so at the age of fifty-five. Butler also proved that he is versatile, in successfully pursuing a political career. He has proved his superiority as an important figure in music by the continuation of soul from the 1960’s to today. Jerry has made, and still is making, many great accomplishments in both the field of music and politics. Along with success as a musical artist, Butler has achieved much in the political world ( iMusic). There he is working towards a Master’s degree in Public Administration. In a further pursuit of politics, Butler is currently enrolled as a student at Governor’s State College in University Park, Illinois. As a commissioner, Butler and others have the large responsibility of planning the annual budget. Currently, the biggest project for the commissioner is a hospital, designed to provide better health care for the underprivileged. ![]() This career change was inspired by the impact of the Civil Rights Movement. His jump into politics began in 1985, when he was first elected into a public office. Presently Butler is working in Chicago as a Commissioner for Cook County. During this time, Jerry Butler became a well known soul artist. Butler continued to record and put out hits throughout the 1970’s and the 1980’s. He recorded two well known albums during this time, “The Iceman Cometh” in 1968 and “Ice on Ice” in 1970, both of which contained songs destined to top the charts. After moving to Mercury Records in 1966, Butler experienced a second string of songs that became popular. “I Stand Accused” and “Make It Easy on Yourself” are just a couple of popular songs during that time, all of which were recorded on Veejay Records label. The second part of Butler’s career began in 1960, with his first solo hit titled “He Will Break Your Heart.” This led to a number of hits for Butler, and even a couple of successful duets. The Impressions gave Jerry Butler the beginning he needed to launch a career of his own in the music industry ( iMusic and Soul Patrol). Butler earned the name because of his smooth and effortless style. However, this low profile work did not last long after Butler penned the song entitled “For Your precious Love.” Recorded on Veejay Records label, the song was a huge hit and became the groups first single to “go gold.” Soon afterwards, in 1959 Butler was tagged “The Iceman” by a radio announcer in Philadelphia. They performed at local places such as churches and on the street corners of Chicago in 1958. This rhythm and blues group started off at the usual places. ![]() With the help of Curtis Mayfield, the Impressions were formed. Jerry Butler, born on December 8, 1936, began his career at the age of eighteen. This talented artist’s career can be described in three significant phases, his beginning, rise to fame, and finally his life in politics. After thirty five years, Butler is still performing at music festivals and supper clubs. Unlike many other soul singers of the 1960’s, Butler’s career survived the disco days and continues to thrive today. Jerry Butler, a native of Sunflower, Mississippi, was, and still is, a popular and noted soul artist.
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