American record producer, label executive and A&R man. Born on 2 September 1931 in Charlotte, N.C., U.S. - Died on 9 April 2008 in Castro Valley, California, U.S.
He worked for a number of well-known jazz record labels from the 1960s to the 1990s including United Artists Records, Blue Note Records (1972-1976, producer), and Columbia Records (A&R executive, after 1978). When Columbia became part of Sony in the 1980s, Butler was promoted to senior vice president and executive producer (after 1988). He signed and launched the careers of a number of now famous artists including Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Nnenna Freelon. His most notable achievement as a record-label executive, however, was urging jazz trumpeter Miles Davis to come out of retirement and record again.