Gospel Artist
Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a South African–born singer-songwriter and guitarist whose work spans R&B, jazz fusion, and contemporary worship music. He openly descri...
- Songs
- 78
- Albums
- 46
About Jonathan Butler
Jonathan Butler is a South African–born singer-songwriter and guitarist whose work spans R&B, jazz fusion, and contemporary worship music. He openly describes his gospel music as a ministry and has long identified as a born-again Christian. Born Jonathan Kenneth Butler on October 10, 1961, in Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa, he began his career as a child, touring at age seven and signing his first recording contract at thirteen. His debut single, “Please Stay” (1975), made history as the first song by a black artist to be played on white radio stations in apartheid-era South Africa. It also earned him a Sarie Award, the South African equivalent of the Grammy Awards.
Butler moved to the United Kingdom in the 1980s before eventually relocating to the United States. His recorded work includes albums such as Heal Our Land, The Worship Project, Brand New Day, Grace and Mercy, and Falling In Love With Jesus. He received Grammy Award nominations for the single “Lies” (1988) and for the instrumental “Going Home” (1988). He also appeared as a featured vocalist on Gospel Goes Classical, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Gospel chart. Alongside his recording career, Butler has served as a worship leader at various churches, including the Dream Center in Los Angeles and the Center of Hope in Inglewood, California.
In recognition of his musical and humanitarian contributions, Butler received an honorary doctorate in philosophy from Stellenbosch University in South Africa in 2025. The following year, in 2026, he was awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver by the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, honoring his longstanding commitment to his faith and his South African heritage.
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