The R&B singer and longtime Illinois politician's assistant Marty (and self-proclaimed "niece at heart") told TMZ Friday that he died at his home in Chicago on Thursday, Feb. 20.
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Born on Dec. 8, 1939, in Sunflower, Miss., Butler first rose to fame in 1958, while fronting The Impressions, an R&B ensemble he formed with his good friend at the time, Curtis Mayfield. The group, which he was a member of for several years, saw almost immediate success due in part to a piece written by Butler, "For Your Precious Love," which went on to be the group's first gold record, per IMDb.
And to think that was really only the beginning of his lengthy career. Even after the group cordially split and Butler flew solo (with Fred Cash taking his spot in The Impressions in 1960), he continued to be a force in the industry and collaborated with some of the biggest artists of the time, like Otis Redding and Betty Everett, and earned three Grammy Award nominations. Some of the biggest hits of his solo career include "He Will Break Your Heart," "Moon River," "Only the Strong Survive" and "Never Gonna Give You Up."
Moving past his success as an artist, Butler became involved in local politics in the mid-1980s and was first elected to the Cook County (Illinois) Board of Commissioners in 1985. He served three four-year terms before pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Governor's State College in University Park, Illinois.
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