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 | |
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Birth name | William E. Butler |
Born | (1945-06-07)June 7, 1945 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Died | March 31, 2015(2015-03-31) (aged 69) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, guitarist |
Years active | 1963–1977 |
Billy 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]
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
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US R&B [3][5] |
US Pop [3][5] | |||
1963 | "Found True Love" / "Lady Love" | ― | — | |
1964 | "Gotta Get Away" / "I'm Just a Man" | 38 | ― | |
"Can't Live Without Her" / "My Heart Is Hurting" | ― | ― | ||
"Nevertheless" / "My Sweet Woman" | ― | ― | ||
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" | ― | ― | ||
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. |
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