Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Turned Politician Dead at 85
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.
"An amazing man has relocated to heaven," Marty said. "Our loss here on earth."
Butler died of natural causes, according to his assistant, who also cited his battle with Parkinson's disease as a contributing factor.
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.
Butler eventually earned the nickname "The Iceman" during a 1959 performance in which the public address (PA) system failed, but Butler kept singing, wowing the audience with his "smooth and cool" delivery and famous baritone vocals, ultimately resulting in the moniker first coined by WDAS Philadelphia DJ Georgie Woods.
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."
Butler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 with the soul group, and later, into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1994 – a non-profit organization for which he has served as the Chairman of the Board.
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.
Along with his professional achievements, Butler was happily married to Annette Smith – his former backup singer – for 60 years before her death in September 2019. The late couple is survived by their sons, Randy and Anthony, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Next:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hulk Hogan's Ex-Wife Sends Clear Message About His Political Beliefs
Hulk Hogan's Ex-Wife Sends Clear Message About His Political Beliefs originally appeared on The Spun. It's been several weeks since the unfortunate passing of professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and many tributes have poured in for him. But one politician's efforts to make Hogan a part of his image has not gone over well with people knew The Hulkster's real politics. Several days ago California Governor Gavin Newsom tried to take a page out of President Donald Trump's playbook by sharing an A.I.-generated image of himself being blessed by a number of other celebrities such as Kid Rock and Tucker Carlson. Hogan was also in the image, depicted with angel wings and a halo. That image didn't sit well with Hogan's ex-wife Linda, who told TMZ that Hogan could not stand Newsom and never would have supported his politics, let alone be depicted as such in an A.I. image. Here's what she had to say Linda Hogan apparently said "it would be a cold day in hell' before Hogan showed any level of support for Newsom. "Linda Hogan reached out to TMZ to clarify her earlier comments... she now tells us her ex-husband Hulk Hogan wouldn't have been a supporter of California Gov. Gavin Newsom ... 'cause the fam never went along with liberal policies. As far as she's concerned .. no one likes Gavin! So, the meme was lame -- and only worked to confuse some fans," TMZ reported on Monday. Per the report, Linda Hogan wasn't upset by the news per se. She simply found it "dumb" and wanted to "clear the air for any fans who are confused." Hogan's real politics For most of his life Hogan seldom dipped his toes into the realm of politics. But the 2024 U.S. Presidential election changed that significantly. Hogan became a diehard supporter of President Trump leading up to the election and even delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention last year. Newsom was well-aware of that. His post depicting Hogan as a supporter of his was entirely part of an effort to troll Trump's supporters since similar ideas have been featured on Trump's social media pages many times before. Hulk Hogan's Ex-Wife Sends Clear Message About His Political Beliefs first appeared on The Spun on Aug 19, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jillian Michaels Explodes Over ‘Biggest Loser' Caffeine Scandal, Calls Out Bob Harper and Netflix
Jillian Michaels slammed Netflix's documentary Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser and alleged that the claims in the film that she approved of giving contestants caffeine pills were lies. The fitness trainer, 51, took to Instagram on Tuesday, August 19, sharing screenshots of what she said were email exchanges between herself, fellow coach Bob Harper and the show's medical expert Dr. Robert Huizenga. 'This is one email of many that shows: Dr. Huizenga did approve caffeine pills on many seasons of Biggest Loser,' Michaels captioned the carousel of photos. She claimed that Harper, 60, 'not only knew about the caffeine pills the 'stackers fat burner' were actually his suggestion,' and that she wanted to use her 'brand instead because they were cleaner and had no more than 200mg of caffeine (equivalent to a strong cup of coffee).' Michaels further alleged that caffeine was 'NEVER banned on the Biggest Loser,' before concluding with: 'Wild how some folks still lie like it's 1985 before texts and email were a thing. And, the last image is my second to last text ever to Bob Harper. Take from it what you will.' The final picture in the set of photos showed a screenshot of a text message that Michaels claimed she sent to Harper on June 15, 2014, that read, 'I really think it's s**tty of you not to respond to my texts. It's this kind of thing that always makes me disappointed [in] our relationship.' Alongside her social media post, Michaels told TMZ she has tapped powerhouse lawyer Bryan Freedman to explore a lawsuit against Netflix, Harper, Huizenga, and producer JD Roth. The documentary, which premiered on August 15, showed Michaels handing over caffeine pills despite it allegedly being against the rules on set, along with Season 8 winner Danny Cahill admitting that he was given Stackers. 'At some point I was given Stackers, like a caffeine pill, you're allowed one of these a day, but they were approved by the trainer,' Cahill confessed. 'I took it as I decided, 'Hey, caffeine will probably help me in a workout.' Sometimes you're tempted to do things that maybe you shouldn't do.' Solve the daily Crossword
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Aubrey Plaza details ‘daily struggle' of coping with husband Jeff Baena's death
Aubrey Plaza is sharing how she's coping with grief and loss after the death of her husband, Jeff Baena. The 41-year-old actress started dating the screenwriter and director in 2011, according to People. The couple, who frequently worked together, tied the knot in 2020 and were married for five years. According to CNN, Baena was found dead in the couple's home on Jan. 3. He was 47. During the Aug. 19 episode of the 'Good Hang' podcast, Plaza opened up about her husband's tragic death with host and former 'Parks and Recreation' co-star Amy Poehler. While she said she's 'here and I'm functioning,' Plaza described coping with death as a 'daily struggle.' 'I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I'm OK, but it's a daily struggle, obviously,' she told Poehler, who played Plaza's boss in the sitcom that ran from 2009 to 2015, per IMDB. Plaza went on to compare the grieving process to a scene she watched from 'The Gorge.' 'In the movie, there's like a cliff on one side and there's a cliff on the other side, then there's a gorge in between,' she said of the film, which was released Feb. 14, per IMDB. 'And it's filled with all these like monster people that are trying to get them,' she continued. 'I was like, that feels like what my grief is like — or what grief could be like — where it's like at all times there's like a giant ocean of just awfulness that's right there and I can see it,' she said of the scene. She continued: 'Sometimes I just want to dive into it, and just like be in it. Then sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But, it's always there.' Plaza and Baena were known to keep their relationship private — despite being together for nearly 14 years. The couple worked together on the 2014 film 'Life After Beth,' which Plaza starred in and Baena directed, per IMDB. He also directed the 2022 film 'Spin Me Round,' which also featured Plaza. In May 2021, while working on 'Spin Me Round,' Plaza casually announced the couple's marriage. 'So proud of my darling husband @jeffbaena for dreaming up another film that takes us to Italia to cause some more trouble,' she wrote in an Instagram post at the time, per E! News. Plaza first opened up about her husband's death three days after the tragedy. 'This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time,' she wrote in a statement shared by E! News on Jan. 6. According to a report by the medical examiner, obtained by People in March, Plaza and Baena had separated in September — months before his death. Authorities later confirmed that the writer and director died by suicide. While speaking to police during the investigation, Plaza confirmed their separation months prior and said he had made concerning remarks in October that led to a welfare check, per People's report. Plaza told authorities that she last heard from Baena three hours before his death when he sent her a text message, according to E! News. He was pronounced dead inside his home at about 10:40 a.m. local time.
