Legendary R&B singer and Chicago politician Jerry Butler dies aged 85

Legendary R&B singer and Chicago politician Jerry Butler dies aged 85

Known as ‘Iceman’, the singer found fame with the Impressions and had a long-lasting creative relationship with Curtis Mayfield

Soul singer and Illinois politician Jerry Butler has died, aged 85.

A family friend confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that Butler had passed away at his Chicago home on Thursday (February 20). No cause of death was given, but he had been living with Parkinson’s disease.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Butler originally trained to be a chef, but ended up contributing vocals to an early iteration of the Impressions after meeting Curtis Mayfield in the mid-1950s.

He performed with the group for three years and wrote their 1958 hit ‘For Your Precious Love’ Eventually, which reached No 11 in the US charts that year. He then left to embark on a solo career, and Mayfield began fronting the group.

After his amicable departure from the Impressions, Butler continued writing with Mayfield, with the two penning Butler’s 1960 hit ‘He Will Break Your Heart’, and Otis Redding’s ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ – the latter which would be covered by Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Jason Isbell, Cat Power and the Rolling Stones.

A family friend confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that Butler had passed away at his Chicago home on Thursday (February 20