The Lettermen - Biography
By J Poet
The Lettermen, who modeled themselves on Bing Crosby’s Rhythm Boys, started singing professionally in 1958, the brainchild of Tony Butala, an old time pop singer. During the 1960s their clean-cut, collegiate good looks made them a favorite with adult listeners who were scared of by the new fangled music called rock’n’roll. Their close harmony singing and smooth arrangements were calm, cool and soothing in those tumultuous years. Their first Capital single, “The Way You Look Tonight”, went gold and during the 60s they consistently hit the charts landing 19 singles in the Top 40 and 24 albums on the pop charts. The group started their own label, Alpha Omega, in 1979 and Butala founded the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame in 1998. They’ve made more than 70 studio albums, including nine Gold records, with an estimated 25 millions dollars worth of sales. They’re still a top draw in Vegas and the worldwide cabaret circuit.
Tony Butala was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania and was singing regularly on local radio station by the time he was eight. His family moved to Hollywood so he could be part of the Mitchell Boys Choir. As part of the choir he appeared in the Bing Crosby film White Christmas (1954).
In the mid-50s, started a vocal quartet with three ex-Mitchell Boys Choir pals and a female singer named Connie Stevens, who went on to her own successful career as an actress and singer. In 1958, Butala’s first version of The Lettermen, with Mike Barnett and Talmadge Russell, played the part of Bing Crosby’s Rhythm Boys in a Vegas review at The Desert Inn. After the review ended, Butala got a job singing and playing bass in a lounge group that included Jim Pike. The fanaticized about a singing group where every member could sing solo as ell as providing close harmonies. Pike suggested his friend from Brigham Young University, Bob Engemann, who had the added advantage of a brother in the record business.
With the help of Engemann’s brother Karl, the trio got a deal with Warner Brothers, but their first two singles went nowhere. Karl Engemann soon moved to President of A&R at Capital and singed The Letterman assigning them to producer Nick Venet, who’d had success with the similarly minded Four Preps.
Their first Capital single “The Way You Look Tonight” hit #13 on the pop charts and “When I Fall In Love”, the follow up, went to #7. Their first album A Song For Young Love (1962 Capital) hit the Top 10, as did every one of their next 32 albums. A Song For Young Love and their second album Once Upon a Time (1962 Capital) were released as a twofer on Collector’s Choice in 2003. The group was incredibly prolific often releasing four albums a year including The Lettermen…and Live! (1967 Capital), which went gold and the gold Goin’ Out Of My Head (1968 Capital), Best of The Lettermen (1969 Capital, 1999 Collectables, with additional tracks) and Hurt So Bad (1970 Capital).
They toured, mostly with old time show biz vets like George Burns, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, and Sammy Davis Jr. They appeared on American bandstand and became regulars on The Red Skelton Show and The Hollywood Palace. Engemann left in 1967 and Gary Pike, Jim’s brother stepped in, then Jim Pike left and another brother, Donny Pike took his place. That lineup was stable until the early 80s. Albums from this period, most out of print, include Reflections (1970 Capital), Everything’s Good About You (1971 Capital), Feelings (1971 Capital), and Love Book (1971 Capital).
In 1984, after a series of personnel shifts, the current trio of Butala, Donovan Tea and Mark Preston solidified. Tea was formerly the lead singer for The Yong Americans and performed as a solo act on cruise ships and in Las Vegas. Preston stated singing professionally as a child, and was part of the Air Force group Tops in Blue while he was in the service and he was The Voice of the Air Force as lead singer with the 702nd AF Band. He appeared as Phyllis Diller’s open act fro many years and was a regular on TV’s Vega$. He’s a close friend of Tea and they joined the group the same day in 1984.
In 1979, Butala started Alpha Omega Records to release Lettermen projects like Why I Love Her and It Feels Like Christmas.
Live in the Philippines (2007 Alpha Omega)
In 1998, long time vocal group fan Butala founded the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame, which has inducted rock, doo-wop, R&B, blues, gospel, folk, big band, jazz, and pop bands including The Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Association, Oak Ridge Boys, and Earth, Wind & Fire. The Lettermen are still a top draw in Vegas and on the cabaret circuit.
