Founding member Tony Butala began singing professionally as a boy in Sharon and by the age of eight appeared on Pittsburgh's KDKA Radio. Moved to Hollywood to become a member of the famous Mitchell Boys Choir, appearing in motion pictures, television and radio and concert tours. In the mid-fifties, while still in high school in Hollywood, Butala formed The Fourmost, a vocal group of three ex-Mitchell Boy Choir friends and a female classmate, Concetta Ingolia. After moderate local success, Ingolia exited the group to be cast in a new TV series, "Hawaiian Eye," and chose the stage name Connie Stevens. By 1960, The Lettermen—now Butala, Jim Pike and Bob Engemann—were signed to Warner Brothers Records and released their first single: "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring."
In 1961, Capitol Records signed them to what turned out to be an over twenty-five year contract. The Lettermen first hit the music charts in 1961 with "The Way You Look Tonight." Following that first hit with another chart topper, "When I Fall In Love." Made "Theme From A Summer Place," "Smile," "Our Winter Love," "Come Back Silly Girl" and "Graduation Day." Late 1967 made perhaps their most loved and requested hit: the medley of "Goin' Out Of My Head / Can't Take My Eyes Off You." In 1967, Engemann left the group and was replaced by Jim's younger brother, Gary Pike. Hits continued with "Up, Up And Away," "Hurt So Bad," "Shangri-La," "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" and "Love." In 1973, when Jim left the group, the youngest Pike brother Donny took over and hits like: "Cherish / Precious and Few," "World Without Love," "If You Feel The Way I Do," "Feelings," "What I Did For Love," and Donny's own "Thank You Girl."
Throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, The Lettermen continued to release albums and travel the world, performing hundreds of concerts each year. The current Lettermen consist of Tony Butala (the group's only original member), Donovan Scott Tea (an accomplished singer and songwriter who joined the group in 1984) and Darren Dowler (a young actor, singer, impressionist who came aboard in 1995). The year 2000 marked the group's 40th Anniversary. Butala created the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in Sharon, dedicated to honor the greatest vocal groups in the world.