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”. He was born in Portland, Oregon; his father died when Jack was four. Ely was classically trained in piano and 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 after suffering unknown illness.
Louie Louie – The Kingsmen