Billy Butler (born William E. Butler; June 7, 1945 – March 31, 2015) was an American soul singer and songwriter active in the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in Chicago, Illinois.[1] His elder brother, Jerry, was also a singer and songwriter for whose band Billy played the guitar.
Billy Butler | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William E. Butler |
| Born | June 7, 1945 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 31, 2015 (aged 69) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, guitarist |
| Years active | 1963–1977 |
Career
editBilly Butler formed the vocal group the Enchanters while at high school. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1963, and was produced initially by Curtis Mayfield[2] and later by Carl Davis.
On early recordings he was backed by the Chanters, a renamed version of the Enchanters; other members were Errol Batts and Jesse Tillman.[1][2] His first and biggest hit was 1965's "I Can't Work No Longer", which reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Singles chart and #60 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] The group disbanded in 1966, and after a minor solo hit with "The Right Track" he left Okeh.[2] "The Right Track" is placed at number 11 in the Northern Soul Top 500[4]
He later formed a new group, Infinity, with Batts, Larry Wade and Phyllis Knox. They had three minor R&B hits: "Get on the Case" (#41 R&B, Fountain Records, 1969), "I Don't Want to Lose You" (Memphis Records, #37 R&B, 1971), and "Hung Up on You" (Pride Records, #48 R&B, 1973).[2][5] He also wrote songs for his brother, as well as for such musicians as Major Lance and Gene Chandler.[1]
Billy Butler died in 2015, aged 69, in his native Chicago.[6][7]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- Right Track (1966)
- Hung Up on You (1973, with Infinity)
- Sugar Candy Lady (1977)
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B [3][5] |
US Pop [3][5] | |||
| 1963 | "Found True Love" / "Lady Love" | ― | 134 | |
| 1964 | "Gotta Get Away" / "I'm Just a Man" | 38 | 101 | |
| "Can't Live Without Her" / "My Heart Is Hurting" | ― | 130 | ||
| "Nevertheless" / "My Sweet Woman" | ― | 102 | ||
| 1965 | "I Can't Work No Longer" / "Tomorrow Is Another Day" | 6 | 60 | |
| "(You Made Me Think) You Ain't Ready" / "I've Got a Feeling You're Gonna Be Sorry" | ― | 103 | ||
| 1966 | "The Right Track" / "Boston Monkey" | 24 | — | |
| "Help Yourself" / "Sweet Darling" | — | — | ||
| 1967 | "Come Over to My Side" / "Love Grows Bitter" | ― | ― | |
| "I'll Bet You" /" Careless Heart" | ― | ― | ||
| 1968 | "Burning Touch of Love" / "Thank You Baby" | ― | ― | |
| 1969 | "Get on the Case" | 41 | ― | |
| 1970 | "Soulation" | — | ― | |
| 1971 | "Free Yourself" | ― | ― | |
| "I Don't Want to Lose You" | 37 | ― | ||
| 1972 | "Dip, Dip, I've Got My Hands Full" | ― | ― | |
| 1972 | "Hung Up on You" | 48 | ― | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b c Unterberger, Richie. "Billy Butler". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 59.
- ^ a b c "Billy Butler Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...Northern Soul 500". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Infinity [soul group] Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
- ^ "Soul singer Billy Butler dies at age 69". SoulTracks. April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ "Billy Butler Dies". Soulandjazzandfunk.com. April 1, 2015. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
External links
edit- Billy Butler discography at Discogs
