Jim Pike, lead singer with hitmaking vocal group The Lettermen, dies at 82
By John Rogers
June 20 at 1:37 PM
Jim Pike, co-founder and lead singer of The Lettermen, whose lush vocal harmonies made the Grammy-nominated trio one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s, died June 9 at his home in Prescott, Ariz. He was 82.
The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease, said his sister-in-law Becky Pike.
Mr. Pike and Bob Engemann, a college buddy from Brigham Young University, formed The Lettermen in Los Angeles in 1961 with fellow singer Tony Butala.
They were looking for a name that would resonate with young people, Mr. Pike’s younger brother, Gary, said, when Engemann suggested The Lettermen. The group had its first hit in 1961 with the Grammy-nominated “The Way You Look Tonight,” which peaked at No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The Lettermen placed 19 more songs on Billboard charts during the next 10 years. Two made the Top 10, 1962’s “When I Fall in Love” and the Grammy-nominated 1968 medley “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Their last hit was 1971’s “Everything’s Good About You.”
The Lettermen also earned Grammy nominations for best new artist of 1961 and for 1962’s “A Song for Young Love.”
Through those years the group toured constantly, playing colleges across the country and other venues around the world.
The constant touring wore out Mr. Pike’s voice and he left the group in 1973, replaced by his youngest brother, Donny. Gary Pike had replaced Engemann in 1967.
After regaining his voice, Mr. Pike formed a group called The Reunion with Engemann.
The Lettermen, with Butala as the only remaining founding member, continues to tour. Engemann died in 2013.
In addition to his brothers, Mr. Pike is survived by his wife, Sue; his daughter, Kelly Pike; and a sister.
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