Edwin Farnham Butler III (born April 14, 1980) is an American-Canadian[2] singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist. He co-founded the Montreal-based indie rock band Arcade Fire with Josh Deu and his wife Régine Chassagne.[3]
His father, Edwin Farnham Butler II, worked as a geologist for oil conglomerate Halliburton in Houston, Texas.[8] His mother, Liza Rey, who performed on the family TV show, The King Family Show, plays jazz harp and sings. Butler's parents currently live on Mount Desert Island, Maine.[9] Butler's maternal grandfather was jazzsteel guitaristAlvino Rey, a pioneer bandleader whose career spanned eight decades.[10] His maternal grandmother, Luise, was a member of The King Sisters, who starred in a weekly variety program on ABC called The King Family Show.
On April 2, 2011, LCD Soundsystem played its last concert before its disbandment. Arcade Fire performed with them during the song "North American Scum". During James Murphy's stumbling introduction to the song, Butler shouted out "shut up and play the hits!" Murphy immediately responded, "ladies and gentlemen, for our live record entitled 'Shut Up and Play the Hits'" and Butler's cry later became the title of the documentary of the concert.[17]
In September 2011, Butler played in a charity basketball tournament in Toronto, Ontario, known as "Rock The Court." Several other celebrities and athletes participated, such as Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs.[18]
Butler also works as a DJ using the stage name Windows 98. Sometimes he works under this moniker as the opening act for Arcade Fire itself.[1][19]
In March 2015, Butler and Chassagne attended the launch of music streaming service Tidal, and revealed themselves, along with other notable artists, as shareholders in the company.[20]
Personal life
Butler is married to fellow Arcade Fire member Régine Chassagne, who gave birth to the couple's child, a son, in 2013.[21]
According to a Pitchfork article published on August 27, 2022, four individuals have accused Butler of sexual misconduct, with some saying he initially contacted them on social media.[24] Butler said all contact with the accusers was consensual, and he denies all allegations of misconduct. In a statement to Pitchfork, a representative for Butler acknowledged he had sexual interactions with each of them, but said they were not initiated by him and were consensual. Chassagne corroborated his statements.[25]
On November 22, 2022, Pitchfork published a follow-up article detailing Butler's manipulative interactions towards a fifth person. These interactions were described by the individual as "Emotionally abusive, manipulative, toxic, and using his power dynamic to exploit my body at times that were convenient for him."[26]
