Jack Ely

Jack Ely
Background information
Born	(1943-09-11)September 11, 1943 Portland, Oregon, United States
Died	April 28, 2015(2015-04-28) (aged 71) Terrebonne, Oregon, United States
Genres	Garage rock, Christian rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, horse trainer
Instrument(s)	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1959–2015
Labels	Jerden, Wand, RCA, Bang

Jack Brown Ely (September 11, 1943 – April 28, 2015) was an American guitarist and singer, best known for singing the Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie". Classically trained in piano, he began playing guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on television. In 1959, he co-founded the Kingsmen and with them recorded "Louie Louie" in 1963; Ely's famously incoherent vocals were partly the result of his braces and the rudimentary recording method. Before the record became a hit Ely was forced out of the group and began playing with his new band, the Courtmen. Ely died in Terrebonne, Oregon, on April 28, 2015, at age 71.