Legendary Soul Singer Jerry Butler Dead at 85

Jerry Butler has died at 85 years old. According to People, he died on Thursday after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The legendary soul singer, nicknamed “The Ice Man,” was the original lead singer of R&B group The Impressions. After leaving the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted band, he went on to achieve 55 Billboard hits, including his classic songs Only the Strong Survive and He Will Break Your Heart. Butler was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015.

Butler and his bandmate Curtis Mayfield are known as two of the greatest singers of all time. Their song For Your Precious Love was listed by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 greatest songs ever made.

He told the Chicago Reader in 1990 after the song’s success, “All of a sudden I had money. I could buy clothes. I could buy a car. I was on the Dick Clark show. I was doing all the kind of stuff that folks dream about. But I don’t think it ever really affected me the way it does other people…I have never gotten to that point where I thought I had reached the apex or the meridian of my ability.”

Later on in life, Butler served as a Commissioner for Cook County, Illinois. He served on the board from 1985 to 2018, and chaired the Health and Hospitals Committee, and famously won reelection with an astounding 80% of the vote despite a Chicago Tribune campaign against him.

Butler earned his nickname from DJ George Woods, who said that Butler was “singing so cool… This guy’s so cool, we’re gonna call him the Ice Man.” Butler took the moniker to heart—both his albums, The Ice Man Cometh and Ice on Ice reference the nickname.

Butler is survived by his sons, his four grandchildren and his one great-grandchild.