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.
Sherry Don't Go
The Lettermen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Give me a chance to say what's hiding only
In the corners of my mind
Don't run away, stay with me girl
Without you, all my world would tumble down
And all my dreams would crumble 'round me
Shadows would always follow me
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I need your love
I know that yesterday I ran away
I acted like a child playing
Games he had never learned to play
I've been on the bridge all alone by the river
And watched little paper boats sail softly by
I saw in the water a bird leaving footprints in the sky
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I need your love, Sherry don't go
The Lettermen's song "Sherry Don't Go" is a plea for a woman not to leave the singer. The song begins with the line, "Sherry don't go, talk to me girl. Give me a chance to say what's hiding only in the corners of my mind." The singer is asking Sherry not to leave, to give him the opportunity to express himself fully to her. He wants to reveal what he has been holding back from her, perhaps his true feelings or his deeper thoughts.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes his need for Sherry's love. He sings, "Without you, all my world would tumble down, and all my dreams would crumble 'round me. Shadows would always follow me." The singer seems to be saying that without Sherry, he would be lost in a world of darkness and despair. He needs her love to survive.
The singer then reveals that he has been acting like a child and playing games he never learned to play. He's been alone on a bridge by the river, watching paper boats sail by. It seems that he has been lost and confused, but he knows that he needs Sherry's love to find his way.
Overall, "Sherry Don't Go" is a song about the need for love and the fear of losing it. The singer is pleading with Sherry not to leave him, to give him a chance to express himself and to stay with him so that he can feel complete.
Line by Line Meaning
Sherry don't go, talk to me girl
Please don't leave, let's talk about what's on my mind
Give me a chance to say what's hiding only
I want to express my true feelings to you
In the corners of my mind
Thoughts that I can't fully express
Don't run away, stay with me girl
Please stay, without you everything will fall apart
Without you, all my world would tumble down
Life without you is unbearable
And all my dreams would crumble 'round me
Losing you means I will never achieve my dreams
Shadows would always follow me
My life would be filled with darkness and sorrow
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I am lost without your love, please don't leave
I know that yesterday I ran away
I understand that I acted impulsively and foolishly
I acted like a child playing
I behaved immaturely and didn't face my problems
Games he had never learned to play
I lacked the skills to handle the situation
I've been on the bridge all alone by the river
I have been reflecting on my actions and feeling alone
And watched little paper boats sail softly by
I have been observing the small and peaceful things in life
I saw in the water a bird leaving footprints in the sky
I saw something beautiful and inspiring that made me think of you
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I am incomplete without your love, please don't leave
I need your love, Sherry don't go
You are the one I need, please stay with me
I need your love, Sherry don't go
My life is pointless without you, please don't leave
I need your love, Sherry don't go
I am lost without you, please don't go
I need your love, Sherry don't go
Please stay with me, I need you in my life
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.