Impressions lead singer and R&B icon Jerry ‘The Iceman’ Butler dies age 85
He was a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend.
Jerry Butler, best known as the lead singer of the Impressions, dies at age 85 after suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
The R&B singer died from natural causes at his home in Chicago on Thursday, February 20.
Butler, who was nicknamed The Iceman, had a string of hits with the Impressions, including Keep On Pushing, I’m So Proud, and Amen.
In 1958, he also co-wrote the song For Your Precious Love, which remains one of the group’s biggest hits.
His assistant, Marty, confirmed the news to TMZ and said: ‘An amazing man has relocated to heaven. Our loss here on earth.’
Butler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and also found solo success with songs like He Will Break Your Heart and Let It Be Me.
Butler also ventured into politics later in life (Picture: Gilles Petard/Redferns)The Iceman left the Impressions in 1960 but regularly worked with his former bandmates, including Curtis Mayfield, to write songs.
His solo career spawned more top 10 hits in the US, blending gospel, soul, R&B and funk tracks on his popular albums such as The Ice Man Cometh.
Growing up as a gospel singer in Mississippi, Butler moved to Chicago with his wife Annette who was one of his backup singers and died in 2019.
Away from music, he was also Cook County Board Commissioner and worked in politics from 1986 until his retirement in 2018.
As a member of the board, he chaired the Health and Hospitals Committee and was the Vice Chair of the Construction Committee.
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