| Joe Butler | |||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Joseph Campbell Butler | ||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 16 September 1941 | ||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Long Island, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Occupation: | Musician, actor | ||||||||||
| Spouse: | Kim Ablondi | ||||||||||
| Children: | Yancy Butler | ||||||||||
| Works: | Hair, Soon | ||||||||||
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Joseph Campbell Butler (born September 16, 1941)[1] is an American drummer, singer and actor. He is a member of the Lovin' Spoonful, who had seven top 10 hits between 1965 and 1966.[2] Outside of his work on music he is an actor, having acted in several plays.
Butler would replace the bands original drummer Jan Carl, after the band's first performance in 1964, He would play drums on all of the band's albums and he would occasionally sing lead vocals. After frontman John Sebastian left the band in 1968, he took over full lead vocal duties. He would sing fully on their album . After the album the band would break up. In 1991 the band would resume touring, Butler would reunite with members Steve Boone and Jerry Yester, Butler would tour and front the band, singing, playing autoharp, percussion and acoustic guitar.
Besides music Butler also is an actor and has appeared in the musicals Soon in 1971 and played Neil and Hair in 1968. Butler has also helped create the Circle Theatre Company.[3] Butler is also the father to actress Yancy Butler and would appear in one episode of her show Witchblade in 2002.
Joe Butler was born on September 16, 1941, in Long Island, New York. He began playing drums at age 10 and started playing professionally at 13.[4] during his teen years Butler would form many bands. Butler would later join the Air Force and was in it until 1963. While in the air force, he met Steve Boone and his brother Skip. Butler, Skip and Steve would form a group called The Kingsmen (not to be confused with another band also with the same name).
See main article: articles and The Lovin' Spoonful. In 1964 Butler would join the Lovin Spoonful. Butler was a principal member of the pop rock band the Lovin' Spoonful, founded by John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky in 1965. Drummer Jan Carl was replaced by Joe after their first gig at the Night Owl in Greenwich Village. Eventually, Steve Boone joined the group and they later signed with Kama Sutra Records. The band would release their debut album Do You Believe in Magic in 1965. The Lovin' Spoonful's most well known hits are "Do You Believe in Magic", "Summer In The City" and "Darling Be Home Soon". While with the Lovin' Spoonful, Butler was given the lead vocals on the songs "You Baby", "Full Measure", "Never Going Back", "Only Pretty, What A Pity" and "Me About You".
In 1968 Sebastian would leave the band, Butler became the lead vocalist for their last album, . The album was recorded without Boone or Yester. The album performed poorly and after the album the band would break up. Butler would go on to pursue an acting career.
In 1980 Butler would first reunite with the original line up of John Sebastian, Zal Yanovsky and Steve Boone, to appear in the movie One-Trick Pony.[5]
Butler was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Lovin' Spoonful in 2000[6] [7] and performed with the original line-up for the last time. Butler also was inducted into the vocal group hall of fame with the band in 2006.[8] Since its reforming in 1991, Joe has continued to perform with founding member Steve Boone in and has retained his position as lead vocalist. [9] He also plays the guitar, autoharp and percussion instruments, while Butler fronted the band Mike Arturi would take over drums.
In 2020 he would reunite on stage with John Sebastian and Steve Boone, singing the Spoonful's hits, this was the first time Boone and Butler played with Sebastian since their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.[10]
Besides his career with the Spoonful, Butler is an actor, he also was in the 1971 rock opera Soon, playing the character of Neil.[11] Butler currently plays with several musical ensembles. He replaced the author James Rado in the leading role of Claude, joining the original Broadway cast of Hair. Butler created the role of Alaska Wolf Joe for the off-Broadway production of the Brecht-Weill social opera the Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.
In 2002 Butler would appear in the show Witchblade, the show starred Butler's daughter Yancy. In the show he would play the former police officer Arthur Buck. This was Butler's first time acting on TV.[12]
Butler is a founding member of the Circle Theatre Company. [13] Alongside award-winning and renowned director Marshall W. Mason and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lanford Wilson, Butler has written and directed numerous projects.
Butler was married to theater manager Leslie Vega on September 2, 1967. He subsequently married Kim Ablondi. His daughter from his first marriage is actress Yancy Butler,[14] star of the 1992 televisions series Mann & Machine and the 1993 series South Beach, as well as films Hard Target and Drop Zone.[15]