Published June 4, 1997

`The Lettermen have a new album`

The Lettermen's profile is rising with a television appearance and a new album, the group's first in some time with national distribution.

The group, made up of founding member Tony Butala of Sharon, Donovan Scott Tea and Darren Dowler, made a June 6 appearance on ``The Home and Family Show'' on cable's The Family Network.

The group sang, was interviewed by host Christine Ferrare and cooked with Butala's wine.

Butala grows merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes on 40 acres in California's Napa Valley. He sells most of the grapes to Stag's Leap, but the company also bottles for Butala a high-priced Butala Estates vintage and the midline Castlebrook. Butala's wines should be available in some Shenango Valley restaurants by the end of the year.

The group has released the album ``The Lettermen Today'' on Dominion Records, a mix of material the group has never recorded before with some of the group's older hits _ including ``The Way You Look Tonight'' and ``When I Fall in Love'' _ which the current lineup has not recorded.

``Wind Beneath My Wings'' has received airplay in the east. ``It's been a few years since Bette Midler had her hit,'' Butala said. ``Our version is totally different with a lot of harmonies.''

``The Lettermen Today'' is the trio's 68th and its first nationally distributed recording since the group stopped recording new music for Capitol Records about seven years ago, he said.

Letterman tour dates:

8:30 p.m. Aug. 19 show at Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Sept. 11 at the Warner Theatre, Erie.
Reno, Nevada, for two weeks in September
Branson, Mo., for two weeks in October.

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Updated Sept. 15, 1997
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