Lettermen (Musical group)
Dates
- Existence: 1961
Administrative History
Lettermen (1961-) was a popular music vocal group of the 1960s and an actively touring group as of 2022.
Lettermen was a vocal music group formed by Bob Engemann, Jim Pike, and Tony Butala in 1961 in Los Angeles. Jim and Bob had originally met at Brigham Young University in the 1950s, performing together in the Program Bureau under the direction of Janie Thompson. Jim Pike became the lead singer of Letterman, and their first hit was "The Way You Look Tonight," distributed by Capitol Records, which led to two Grammy Award nominations. The group toured across the United States and globe, often wearing matching lettermen cardigan sweaters on stage. Lettermen put 19 songs on the Billboard charts, becoming one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s. Gary Pike replaced Bob Engemann in 1967, and Donny Pike replaced Jim in 1973. Jim Pike later returned and formed a Lettermen "Reunion" group in 1983 with Bob and their friend Ric de Azevado. Bob Engemann passed away in 2013, and Jim Pike in 2019. As of 2022, Lettermen continued to actively tour with new singers.
Citation:
found: The Jack Benny program. 1964-03-31 [MP] 1964:credits, voice over (with his special guests, the Lettermen)found: Performing arts biog. master index, 1981(The Lettermen)
nytimes, via WWW, November 30, 2022 (Lettermen was a vocal music group formed by Bob Engemann, Jim Pike, and Tony Butala in 1961 in Los Angeles. Jim Pike was the lead singer. First hit was "The Way You Look Tonight," distributed by Capitol Records, which led to two Grammy Award nominations. The group toured across the United States and globe, wearing matching lettermen cardigan sweaters on stage. Lettermen put 19 songs on the Billboard charts, becoming one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s. Gary Pike replaced Bob Engemann in 1967, and Donny Pike replaced Jim in 1973. Jim Pike later returned and formed a Lettermen “Reunion” group. Jim Pike died in 2019)
Thelettermen.com, via WWW, November 30, 2022 (Capitol Records, touring as of 2022 with different members)
Deseret News, via WWW, November 30, 2022 (Bob Engemann passed away in 2013)
UPB files, November 30, 2022 (As BYU students in the 1950s, Jim and Bob performed in the Program Bureau under the direction of Janie Thompson. Reunion group formed in 1983, joined by Ric de Azevedo)
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Jim Pike papers
Materials document Jim Pike's membership in the popular mid-20th century vocal group, The Lettermen, and his Reunion Lettermen group. Includes letters, photographs, ephemera, framed commemorative records, plaques, certificates and awards, audiovisual materials, and Pike's Lettermen sweater. Included are three compact sound discs and one DVD. Materials in the collection date from approximately 1959 to 2008.