Song:He Will Break Your Heart
Album:The Sweetest Soul
Jerry Butler has one of the greatest singing voices in popular music history. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The 1960 hit He Will Break Your Heart is one of his three top ten pop hits. He was born Dec. 8, 1939 in Sunflower, MS and grew up in the Cabrini Green projects in Chicago. He met Curtis Mayfield while both were singing in a church choir. In 1956, they formed The Roosters with Arthur and Richard Brooks and Sam Gooden. Then the group name was changed to The Impressions. Butler sang lead on The Impressions 1958 hit For Your Precious Love. He also wrote the song. Butler left The Impressions for a solo career and signed with Vee-Jay Records. He Will Break Your Heart reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R & B Singles chart. Butler and Mayfield wrote the song. A cover of He Will Break Your Heart titled He Don't Love You by Tony Orlando & Dawn topped the charts in 1975. Butler's second top ten pop hit was a duet with Betty Everett Let It Be Me in 1964. When Vee-Jay closed, Butler signed with Mercury Records and worked with legendary producers Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff. Only The Strong Survive was his third top ten pop hit in 1969. In the 70s, Butler recorded for Philadelphia International and Motown. He had some minor hits but nothing as big as his 60s recordings. You can get his Vee-Jay recordings on this comp from the British reissue label RPM. Beware of off label releases of alternate takes and re-recordings of his Vee-Jay recordings. The Mercury and Philadelphia International recordings are available elsewhere. Jerry Butler was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991. He is chairman of the non profit Rhythm & Blues Foundation. And he has been a Cook County Commissioner and Chicago Alderman since 1985. He still tours and you may have seen him on PBS oldies music specials. This performance of He Will Break Your Heart is from one of those PBS shows. He still sounds great.
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