From this . . .                                                                                            . . . to this

24 March 2025

Jonathan Butler, the barefoot boy from Athlone who has gone on to entertain people around the world with his dulcet tones and wizardry on the guitar, received the ultimate accolade today when the University of Stellenbosch conferred on him an honorary doctorate in philosophy.

The commendation for the award states: “for his musical influence and contributions to arts and culture as a composer, songwriter and performer and his dedication to creating platforms that ensure access to the arts for young people from marginalised communities”.

Looking resplendent in his colourful gown in front of the university’s academic elite, the celebrated singer told the Convocation: “What a glorious day this is, one I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life.

“I stand before you today deeply humbled, surrounded by my family, my sisters and my brothers, and my beautiful and loving wife.

“This moment is a dream fulfilled, one that has come true beyond anything I could ever ask for, think or imagine. That’s scripture. I have no idea what God has in store for me.

“I want to thank the everyone who made this honour possible, I want to thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart for this moment in my life.”

The 63-year-old gave the gathered academics, families, and friends of the graduands who were about to have their degrees conferred on them, an insight into life growing up in 7^th Avenue, Belgravia in Athlone.

“As a little boy, growing up in a sink huis met ‘n klein huisie vi’ ‘n toilet [a shanty home with an outside toilet], that we had to clean ourselves. No running water.  No electricity. As a little boy, I often wondered what life would have been for me if I had a formal education.

“But God had other plans for my life. What I lacked in education, I received through the music. Music became my teacher, my guide, my compass.

“I remember, as a little boy, playing in a nightclub in Durban. A lady came every night to see me, I was just seven years old. One night she brought me a watch, and a car, a little Bentley. She said one day I would sing in Carnegie Hall. I didn’t know what Carnegie Hall was or what she meant by it.”

Years later he performed in Carnegie and today, he said, he was driving that Bentley, figuratively speaking.

“Music has taught me discipline, courage, creativity, resilience. The journey was not an easy journey for me. Trust me, the journey was not easy, but you have your own race to run, your own tree to chop down in your life. And sometimes you get weary, and you have to stop, and you have to really regroup. I say if you stop right, you will end right. And that’s why I believe, that’s what God taught me, that’s what music taught me.

“Through persistence, faith and an unrelenting desire to use my gift. I wanted to use it to bring the world together to make this world a better place, to see change in peoples’ lives, to see change in communities.”

As emotion overtook him, Jonathan dumped his speech so that he could talk from the heart.

“I had been gone from home for a very long time; I have been in this business for about 50 years; I suffered being abused as a young child; I went through a lot of personal grief and pain as a little boy, leaving my parents as a little boy at the age of five to perform and make money to support my mother who had 12 children.

“But today I want to tell you . . .  if it wasn’t for Jesus in my life I would not be standing here today.  I received this honour not just for me but for the Butler family.

“Education was not something we had … we had music, that was what we had.”

And then, in a break with the stiffness of the occasion, he took up his guitar, and with the help of pianist Ramon Alexander and his band, he performed his gospel hit, Falling In Love With Jesus, and one of his best known songs that speaks to his roots, 7^th Avenue.

Butler will be performing around Southern Africa over the next five weeks, performing songs from his latest album, Ubuntu, and carrying out duties relating to his work with the Lalela Foundation for which he is the first Global Entertainment Ambassador. The foundation provides educational arts for at-risk youth. Its arts curriculum and critical messaging serves more than 5000 South African learners a week.