‘Louie Louie’ singer dies

Jack Ely, who became famous for recording "Louie Louie" in 1963 and then going on to other non-music adventures for the rest of his life, died at his Redmond, Oregon home.

Jack Ely

Ely was an original member of the Kingsmen, a band formed in 1959 that mostly performed cover versions of songs. The group recorded "Louie Louie" at a studio in its home city of Portland for $36 in a 10x10 studio.

It became one of the most famous songs of the 20^th century.

The song was written in the mid-1950s by Richard Berry. "Louie Louie" has been covered hundreds of times.

Ely's incoherent words caused the FBI to check whether the song was obscene. The 455-page investigative report found the words to be "unintelligible at any speed." 

Ely and other band members attributed the indistinct lyrics to the microphone suspended from the ceiling, forcing Ely to shout up at it.

Ely had a falling out with the band shortly after the song was recorded. He later trained horses in Central Oregon and was content with his legacy as a one-hit wonder.