The Lettermen are an American pop music vocal group. The Lettermen's tradem… Read Full Bio ↴The Lettermen are an American pop music vocal group. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. They were popular mainly with adult audiences during the 1960s.

The group was formed in late 1950s by Mike Barnett, Dick Stewart and Tony Butala. They auditioned for Jackie Barnett, chief comedy writer for the Jimmy Durante TV show. They landed the part to impersonate The Rhythm Boys, the vocal group that traveled with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra in the late 1920s, and gave Bing Crosby his initial fame. The "Newcomers of 1928" review opened on 28 February 1958 at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Nevada. This review also starred Paul Whiteman, Buster Keaton, Rudy Vallée, Harry Richmond and Fifi D'Orsay. They played to sell-out audiences and were held over for many weeks. This review also played a six week review at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, with Butala being the only consistent Letterman. Barnett and Russell were replaced by Gary Clarke and Jerry Paul. When the review ended, Butala landed a job as singer/bass player in a lounge group, "Bill Norvas and the Upstarts", with Gary Clarke. After a few months, Clarke left the group and was replaced by Jim Pike. Pike and Butala decided to leave the Upstarts and resume the Lettermen although they had not yet decided to use the Lettermen name. Pike envisioned a group where each member was an excellent soloist as well as a competent group singer. Pike recommended the third Letterman should be Bob Engemann, a singer that Pike had met when he attended Brigham Young University a few years earlier. Both had come to Los Angeles, California, and sang together in different combinations until Engemann had go into the National Guard for 6 months. At that point, Pike joined Bill Norvis and met Butala. This combination first recorded in late 1959.

They secured a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records through Bob Engemann's older brother, Karl Engemann, who was a record producer there, and for whom Pike had released a record earlier called "Lucy D", which was not successful. Pike, Butala and Engemann as "The Lettermen" released two singles in 1960. The A-sides were "Two Hearts" and "There Hearts Were Full Of Spring". They were not successful. Karl Engemann moved on to Capitol Records as President of A&R. He got them out of their contract at Warner Bros., and made an appointment with Nick Venet, a producer at Capitol and they were signed.

There was another "Lettermen" group in the late 1950s and early 1960s that recorded for Liberty Records, (which was a major label at the time). They were an R&B group with five members, and their single was called "Hey Big Brain". But the "Lettermen" of Pike, Engemann and Butala had the first hit record, so they were entitled to exclusively use the "Lettermen" name. There was also a group in the mid 1950s called The Lettermen Trio, but had no record success.

The Lettermen were unknown until they signed with Capitol Records in 1961. Their first single for Capitol, "The Way You Look Tonight," succeeded on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, and their next, "When I Fall in Love," reached the Top 10 in late 1962. They had several other Top 10 hits, such as the 1965's, "Theme From A Summer Place". In late 1967 Bob Engemann resigned, and was replaced by Jim Pike's younger brother, Gary Pike. The hits continued with the 1968 medley "Goin' Out of My Head"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You", and in 1968 with "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", plus 1969's "Hurt So Bad", which reached number 12. The last successful single was in 1972, "Love" a solo by Pike.

The Lettermen have had 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart albums, 11 gold records, five Grammy nominations, an Andy Award, and a Cleo Award. In 1976, Jim Pike left the group and sold the Lettermen name to Butala.

In 1981 Gary Pike left the Lettermen, and today Jim and Gary Pike, along with Ric de Azevedo, sing The Lettermen hits, billed as Reunion.

In 1961, The Lettermen started performing live concerts doing over 100 shows a year, an unbroken string that continues to the present now amounting to 46 years.

Over the decades, the group has had various line-ups, replacing members who left for various reasons with new people to maintain a trio. Tony Butala, who (as of 2007) is still a member, has stated that the group ethos is that of three strong soloists that harmonize, and that the group encourages individual singing and songwriting.

They pride themselves in welcoming audience member photographs during the show, unlike many recording acts.

I'll Never Stop Loving You
The Lettermen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll never stop loving you
Whatever else I may do
My love for you will live 'til time itself is through
I'll never stop wanting you
And when forever is through
My heart will beat the way it does each time we meet
The night doesn't question the stars that appear in the skies
So why should I question the stars that appear in my eyes

Of this I'm more than just sure
My love will last and endure
I'll never, no, I'll never stop loving you

I'll never stop loving you
Whatever else I may do
My love for you will live 'til time itself is through
I'll never stop wanting you
And when forever is through
My heart will beat the way it does each time we meet
The night doesn't question the stars that appear in the skies
So why should I question the stars that appear in my eyes
Of this I'm more than just sure

My love will last and endure
I'll never, no, I'll never stop loving you

Overall Meaning

The Lettermen's song "I'll Never Stop Loving You" is a timeless love ballad that speaks of an everlasting love that will stand the test of time. The lyrics are simple but profound, expressing a deep-seated love that will never fade, even when everything else in the world changes. The singer declares that he will never stop loving his beloved, no matter what he may do in his life. His love is unwavering, and he believes that it will continue to live on even after he has passed away.

The song's theme is one of the most popular themes in music, but it is the simplicity and sincerity of the lyrics that make it so memorable. The singer expresses his feelings in a straightforward manner, without any grandiose language or exaggerated emotion. He compares his love to the night sky, which does not question the stars that appear in it, just as he does not question the love that he feels for his beloved. He is certain that his love will last forever, and he is willing to dedicate his life to it.

Overall, "I'll Never Stop Loving You" is a beautiful ode to true love and devotion, and it is a testament to the power of love to transcend all obstacles, including time and distance.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll never stop loving you
My love for you will never fade away

Whatever else I may do
No matter what else I may accomplish or pursue, my love for you will remain constant

My love for you will live 'til time itself is through
My love for you is eternal and will surpass the passage of time

I'll never stop wanting you
I will always desire and long for you

And when forever is through
Even after our time on earth has passed

My heart will beat the way it does each time we meet
My heart will continue to race and skip a beat every time I see you

The night doesn't question the stars that appear in the skies
Just as the night accepts and embraces the stars that shine brightly above

So why should I question the stars that appear in my eyes
I shouldn't question or doubt the love that I feel for you, which is just as natural and bright as the stars in the night sky

Of this I'm more than just sure
I have complete confidence in my love for you

My love will last and endure
My love for you will remain steadfast and persevere through any challenges or obstacles

I'll never, no, I'll never stop loving you
I will always love you, now and forever

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: NICHOLAS BRODSZKY, SAMMY CAHN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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