Rest in peace, The Iceman

The great soul and R&B singer Jerry Butler has passed away

Sometime in 1968, ten years old.

Flipping the station to ‘DAS here in Philly, and on comes one of silkiest, most groovacious soul songs I had ever heard (up to that point in my early years): “Never Gonna Give You Up” by R&B singer Jerry Butler. I became a fan for life.

Sad news: the Iceman has passed away. 85 years young, with a resume of incredible hits and deep tracks.

The Iceman was a soul music giant who started as lead singer of the Chicago R&B group The Impressions with another soul music giant, Curtis Mayfield. Butler was 19 years old (and Mayfield, 17) at the time the song “For Your Precious Love” was released . Co-written with Arthur and Richard Brooks, the Butler fronted Impressions had an immediate hit song in 1958, however Butler left the band to pursue a solo career shortly after the group released their second single.

Butler’s solo career continued for a time with Mayfield as a collaborator, until he came to Philly to work w/ the legendary Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who were with Butler on the all-timer classic soul album, The Iceman Cometh (1968) and the followup, Ice On Ice. Butler’s nickname? It was the legendary Philly DJ Georgie Woods (The Man With The Goods) who gave Butler the name “Iceman.”

Butler’s signature rich baritone drove dozens of great songs over the years. The songs from The Iceman Cometh in particular - “Only The Strong Survive,” (his highest charting song), “Hey Western Union Man,” and “Never Gonna Give Up” remain timeless soul classics after almost 60 years since they were performed, recorded and produced by Gamble & Huff and the Sound of Philly house band in 1968. This is some peak Chicago-Philly soul music collab work.

Here’s to the great Iceman, Jerry Butler, and so many incredible songs that he gave the world.