Butler was Jerry Butler"s younger brother. He formed the vocal group the Enchanters while at high school. He first recorded for Okeh Records in 1963, and was produced initially by Curtis Mayfield and later by Carl Davis.
On early recordings he was backed by the Chanters, a renamed version of the Enchanters.
Other members were Errol Batts and Jesse Tillman. His first and biggest hit was 1965"s "I Can"t Work Number Longer", which reached #6 on the United States. Billboard Black chart and #60 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The group disbanded in 1966, and after a minor solo hit with "The Right Track" he left Okeh. "The Right Track" is placed at number 11 in the Northern Soul Top 500 He later formed a new group, Infinity, with Batts, Larry Wade and Phyllis Knox.
They had three minor Rhythm & Blues hits: "Get on the Case" (#41 Rhythm & Blues, Fountain Records, 1969), "I Don"t Want To Lose You" (Memphis Records, #38 Rhythm & Blues, 1971), and "Hung Up On You" (Pride Records, #48 Rhythm & Blues, 1973).
He died in 2015, aged 69.