Laughlin Entertainer: Cover Stories

When you think of The Lettermen you might think sweet, pure, harmony delivered by three trimmed and proper guys. And you wouldn't be wrong. But you also might want to think White Christmas, Bugsy's era Las Vegas Strip, Red Skelton and Johnny Carson. And you might want to think professionalism taken to an art form. You might think Tony Butala.

You see, Butala is the original of the originals. He was with The Lettermen from Day One and is still with them, Day 18,250. As a kid he appeared in the film White Christmas; later he sang in a revue at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas also starring Rudy Vallee and Buster Keaton, among other big names from long ago.

But it was with The Lettermen where Butala found his true niche. Here, he could sing as part of a group; sing a solo; sing, sing, sing. And entertain.

The success The Lettermen had with their recording career landed them spots on all the top TV shows of the day and put them on the musical map. These hits include “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Theme From A Summer Place”, “Goin' Out Of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You” (ironically, “Goin' Out of My Head” was first made a major hit by Little Anthony and the Imperials who are also in town this week; see page 18),” “When I Fall In Love” and “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”. All the hits allowed Butala to continue to perform with what has to be one of the truly original American musical groups still performing today.

Which brings us back to sweet, pure, harmony...

Today, The Lettermen are Butala, Donovan Tea (a long standing Lettermen of 30 years) and Mark Preston. The Laughlin entertainer recently talked with Tony Butala about the group, the show they're bringing to town and show biz in general

Q. In 2010, The Lettermen celebrate 50 years as recording artists. Anything special planned?

A. The members of our fan club have a lot of special things planned. It's a milestone. We're pleased and proud to be able to keep going for 50 years.

We actually started in 1958 in Las Vegas at the Desert Inn in the revue “Newcomers of 1928” with George Burns and Buster Keaton, but we didn't record until 1960. We had two years of entertaining as part of different combinations, but we can pinpoint 1960 as the origin of our recording career.

Q. What do you think of today's love songs?

A. I always tell people every decade, every era, has beautiful songs. In the 90s and the year 2000, there was the Celine Dion song from “Titanic” and people are listening-commercial and mainstream songs aren't always the ones they play. They're not all listening to country, hip hop and jazz.

I'm not saying there aren't atrocious songs in every decade either. I can pick out atrocious songs in every era, like “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavor on the Bedpost Every Night” and “Tiptoe Through the Tulips.” There may be some absurd, or mildly absurd, song that comes away from this decade, but people will look back and glean better quality tunes from their decade. The standards really, really last.

Q. Do you think current “love” songs by people like Jordan Sparks' “Just Like A Tattoo” will ever get the Lettermen treatment?

A. I don't think it's close.

Q. Seriously, are there any songs currently out there that could get The Lettermen treatment?

A. If there was a brand new rap tune with merit, we wouldn't turn it down. We would investigate it, explore it. I did hear one the other day. It was rap with a chorus to it.

I always listen to the music that's out there. I don't want to get lost in a specific generation. We happened to have had hits in the 60s and 70s but there's nothing old fashioned about us. There are no tuxedos from 1960, we're about GQ designers and style. We update our wardrobe and material all the time.I f we hadn't adapted our look for 2008, we wouldn't still be performing.

But we can't abandon the people who brought us to this point. We believe in “dancing with the one who brung you,” meaning we don't forget the people who have bought our albums and attended our shows all these 48 years.

Q. What's the secret to the longevity of The Lettermen?

A. We are experienced entertainers-not people who just stand and sing. We pay attention to how we construct a show because we know people could just stay home and plop in a DVD. When they come out, ducking weather, filling up the car with gas, having dinner, buying our merchandise and attending our show, we owe them a lot. We want to make sure that on the drive home they're saying, “Wow, that show was worth all the hassle.”

It's a quality show with music, banter, comedy and audience participation. If people want to bring their cameras, no problem. We take photos and sign autographs after every how. We go one step further. If you send us a photo you took at the show, address it and ship it, we'll sign it personally and send it back in a self-addressed envelope-that's how user friendly we are.

Q. How do you build a show around a huge catalog of love songs without it being too much of a good thing?

A. I equate our love ballads to a big thick slice of German chocolate cake. It's sweet. It's wonderful and I want dessert. But what if I like it so much that I want to have another piece, and another... After four or five pieces, I want to throw up.

Our ballads are sugary sweet, but how many can you take in a row before people start falling asleep or start necking? So we condense all of our love ballads. It's our little secret. People think they came to hear the hits, but they actually came to be entertained. That's the way we do our shows-we do a little bit of every hit, focus on entertaining. That's what a lot of acts don't do.

Q. You worked with a lot of greats. Did you have a memory that sticks out in your mind?

A. I have plenty of memories. The biggest moment that, still to this day turns me on happened in 1969.

The Doors were doing a show in Miami and Jim Morrison was so high he dropped his pants in front of the audience of young teen-aged girls and was doing some weird things on stage. The city was angry and hosted a decency rally. It wasn't a mainstream event of entertainment. Not so strangely, no rock and roll acts consented to be on the show-but The Lettermen did, Anita Bryant did and Jackie Gleason did. The rally was held at the Orange Bowl stadium, where there were 104,000 people. I'd never seen anything like it. Minor groups came and performed, but when Jackie Gleason was on stage to introduce us, there was such respect and quiet you could hear a pin drop. He said, “We're here to show there's decency in entertainment. I believe entertainment is just as great a profession as brain surgeons, lawyers or doctors. We provide something you don't have in your lives and that's important. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce a group of gentlemen with class and of quality, The Lettermen.”

When that happened, the crowd erupted. To command such respect that 104,000 people quieted to a whisper was something to see. You hear stories about George Burns tearing up when he talked about Gracie-this was the same thing. Jackie Gleason was a sensitive wonderful human being and I'm so blessed to have had time with these people. It was a different era.

Q. Do you miss Vegas in the 50s and 60s?

A. I have great memories from the first time I was in Vegas in 1957, as upstarts-and then when we came back as headliners doing 20 weeks at the Flamingo. We had some great days and good memories.

If I say I miss them, yeah, I do miss them, but I won't wallow in something I can't change. You make your own history and your own memories. I love the good old days, but life goes on. I believe in God, breath, air and body and living daily like it's my last. It's a Pollyanna way of looking at things, but I love it. My mom and dad raised me to be optimistic.

Q. Could you ever pass the torch for a new generation of Lettermen if one day you decided you didn't want to do this any more or couldn't do this any more?

A. It's predetermined. There's no reason The Lettermen shouldn't go on. Why deprive people of hearing The Lettermen music? So, sure it could go on.

Q. You've been a Lettermen since day one. What keeps it fresh for you?

A. It's not the songs. It has nothing to do with how many times you ride the same bicycle. It goes beyond the song. It's about the audience. I don't know where it comes from-some acts do get tired of doing the same thing-I don't care. I live by my standards. I have a positive attitude. It's a privilege to be in a group that's become and been a part of American lives for 48 years. I have an obligation to repay their loyalty.

Q. You also work to make sure all vocal groups who have made an impact on the landscape get the recognition they deserve with your Vocal Group Hall of Fame in Sharon, Pennsylvania.

A. It's fantastic. We've been here 10 years.

We've also been working on the “Truth in Music Act” which most recently passed in Nevada. Now we can shut down phony shows that don't contain any original members. They have people thinking the casts are made up of the real deals and people are paying big money to hear tributes. They stand up there and talk about their hits from the 50s and they're 30 years old. They weren't even born yet. Our chairman, John “Bowser” Bowman from Sha Na Na, has spent his own money to make this happen.

THE LETTERMEN

Wednesday, November 26

through

Sunday, November 30

7 p.m. NV (8 p.m. AZ)

Don's Celebrity Theatre in the

RIVERSIDE RESORT

Tickets are $30

For tickets, see the Entertainment Ticket Office next to Don's Celebrity Theatre or call 702-298-2535 ext 616; 928-763-7070, ext 616; or

1-800-227-3849, ext 616