Bob Engemann, original member of The Lettermen, dies Sunday at age 77

PROVO — Bob Engemann, an original member of the '60s pop music trio The Lettermen, died early Sunday morning in a Provo hospital. He was 77.

Engemann sang with the group from 1959 to 1967. During that time, "The Way You Look Tonight" hit No. 13 on the Billboard music charts in 1961, and "When I Fall in Love" reached No. 7 in late 1962. The Letterman had several other well-known songs during his tenure, including 1965's "Theme From A Summer Place."

The Lettermen, known for beautiful harmony and love songs, performed around the world and made frequent appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Red Skelton Show. The trio had a string of hit singles, including "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" in 1968.

Engemann, Jim Pike, his friend from BYU, and Tony Butala formed the group in Los Angeles in 1959. Engemann's brother, Karl Engemann, who worked as  a producer and later vice president at Capitol Records, helped sign the group to that label.

Grenade Curran, a longtime friend of Engemann's, described him as a caring, loving person who was passionate about his family and his religion. He praised him for always standing up for his values in both his personal life and his music.

"Bob was such a good singer," Curran said. "We've all been friends for 59 years."

— Dennis Romboy

Twitter: dennisromboy