 The arrangements he made with Prima have been covered by David Lee Roth, Los Lobos, Brian Setzer, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.In addition to his accomplishments as a saxophonist and composer, Butera is widely regarded as the inspiration for the vocal style of fellow New Orleans-born jazz singer Harry Connick, Jr.

Butera had a featured role in the Cinemax TV special "Viva Shaf Vegas" (1986), which starred Paul Shaffer.In the show, written by Shaffer, Tom Leopold and Harry Shearer, Butera is asked to help Shaffer with his "spiritual crisis".