Jack Ely

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Jack Ely
Background information
Born(1943-09-11)September 11, 1943
Portland, Oregon, United States
DiedApril 28, 2015(2015-04-28) (aged 71)
Terrebonne, Oregon, United States
GenresGarage rock, Christian rock
Occupation(s)Musician, horse trainer
Instrument(s)Guitar, vocals
Years active1959–2015
LabelsJerden, 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.

Early life

Jack Ely was born on September 11, 1943, in Portland, Oregon.[1] Both of his parents were music majors at the University of Oregon, and his father, Ken Ely, was a singer.[2][3] His father died when he was four years old and his mother subsequently remarried.[3]

Ely began playing piano while still a young child, and was performing recitals all over the Portland area before his seventh birthday. When he was eleven, a piano teacher provided what he termed "jazz improvisation lessons." The teacher would show Ely a section of a classical composition, and the boy would have to make up 15 similar pieces. He would be required to share each in class and then make up one on the spot.[2]

On January 28, 1956, Ely watched Elvis Presley on television for the first time, and he decided that he wanted to play guitar.[4] At his first guitar lesson, he was required to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb", an experience that Ely found so demeaning that he quit after that lesson and began picking out his favorite guitar riffs by ear.[5] Ely played guitar and sang for the Young Oregonians, a travelling vaudeville show for entertainers under the age of 18. "We didn't get paid in money, we got paid in experience," Ely recalled.[6]

The Kingsmen

Ely was enrolled at

Red Cross events, and supermarket promotions, generally avoiding rock songs on their setlist.[8] Ely played with the Kingsmen as he attended Portland State University.[9]

Wand 143: Second pressing with "Lead vocal by Jack Ely" text

In 1962, while playing a gig at the Pypo Club in

KISN, formed his own club dubbed "The Chase" to capitalize on these dance crazes.[13] The Kingsmen became the club's house band and Ken Chase became the band's manager. Ely was begging Chase to let the band record their own version of "Louie Louie", and on April 5, 1963, Chase booked the band an hour-long session at the local Northwestern Inc. studio for the following day.[14] The band had just played a 90-minute "Louie Louie" marathon.[15]

Despite the band's annoyance at having so little time to prepare, the Kingsmen walked into the recording studio on April 6 at 10:00 am. In order to sound like a live performance, the group's equipment was arranged such that Ely was forced to lean back and sing into a boom microphone suspended high above the floor. "It was more yelling than singing," Ely said, "'cause I was trying to be heard over all the instruments."

Don Gallucci, the new keyboardist.[18] The one hour session cost either $36,[19] $50,[17] or somewhere in between [20]
and the band split the cost.

On August 16 during a band practice, Easton staged a "hostile takover",

frontman and singer.[22] Ely would have to become the drummer, and since the band's name was registered to Easton only, he technically led the group. Ely was not happy with this turn of events, and he and Nordby left the band at once. At the time, the song had sold roughly 600 copies and it was thought that the Kingsmen would disband.[23] When he found out "Louie Louie" was climbing up the Billboard charts, Ely attempted to rejoin the group, but was blocked by Easton who was intent on adding replacements.[24]

In a 1998 interview Ely said, "My life stopped at that moment. It was my voice. I was the one who found the song. I was the one that arranged it. It was my band. And look what happened."[25] Seeking "redemption and retribution", he formed his own "Kingsmen" group, touring as "The Original Singer of Louie Louie",[26] and also recorded "Love That Louie" in 1964 for RCA Records as Jack E. Lee and the Squires.

A legal battle ensued and a 1966 settlement resulted in Ely ceasing to call his group the Kingsmen and

lip-synching the song in live performances.[27] Ely also received royalties going forward for "Louie Louie" and "Haunted Castle", plus a gold record for "Louie Louie".[28]

Later life and career

After a brief stint with Don and the Goodtimes, Ely began touring with his renamed group, the Courtmen.[29][30] In 1966, they released "Louie Louie '66" and "Ride Ride Baby" with Bert Berns at Bang Records,[31] but neither charted. With the Vietnam War on the horizon, Ely was conscripted into the army, and found his career had waned upon his return to the United States in 1968.[32] Ely spiraled down into drug and alcohol addiction, but then spoke out against it with the Rockers Against Drugs.

He re-recorded "Louie Louie" with studio musicians in 1976 (released on 60's Dance Party, 1982, and other compilations) and again in 1980 (released on 10 Big Hits of the Rock 'n' Roll Era, 1980, and other compilations).

Ely lived at his farm in

royalties to recording artists and record labels. Since Ely was not the original author, he never received any money from the radio play of "Louie Louie." In an interview, he said, "It's not just about me. There are a lot of one-hit wonders out there just like me who deserve compensation when their recorded performances are played and stations get ad revenue from it."[33]

In 2012, Ely released a Christian rock album, Love Is All Around You Now.[34]

Death

Ely died at his Oregon residence on April 28, 2015, at the age of 71, having long suffered from an unknown illness.

Christian Scientist, and "because of his religious beliefs we're not even sure what it [the illness] was," his son Sean Ely said. The younger Ely believed his father suffered from skin cancer.[37][38]

At the time of his death he was survived by his wife of 16 years, Wendy Maxson Ely, three children, Sean, Sierra and Rob, and two daughters by marriage, Crystal and Sheri. He was also survived by two sisters, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[39][40]

Discography

Singles

Albums

  • The Kingsman (Signet 3411-56J), 1990 (cassette only)
  • Love Is All Around You Now (Mondo Tunes 001), 2012 (Internet release)

Other

Notes

  1. ^ Stewart 2010, p. 2
  2. ^ a b Stewart 2010, p. 3
  3. ^ a b c d Marsh 1993, p. 85
  4. ^ Stewart 2010, p. 5
  5. ^ a b Stewart 2010, p. 6
  6. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 84
  7. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 86
  8. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 87
  9. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 82
  10. ^ Blecha 2009, p. 134
  11. ^ Blecha 2009, p. 135
  12. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 83
  13. ^ Blecha 2009, p. 136
  14. ^ a b Blecha 2009, p. 137
  15. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 88
  16. ^ Hayes, Ron (August 13, 1993). "Rock's Rumored Dirtiest Song Turns 30". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
  17. ^ a b Blecha 2009, p. 138.
  18. ^ a b Blecha 2009, p. 156
  19. ^ Peterson 2005, p. 47.
  20. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 98.
  21. .
  22. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 100
  23. ^ Blecha 2009, p. 144
  24. ^ Blecha 2009, p. 147
  25. ^ Fefer, Mark D. (June 10, 1998). "The war behind the scenes over rock's relentless party song". Seattle Weekly.
  26. .
  27. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 112
  28. ^ "Settle Kingsmen Vs Jack Ely Litigation" (PDF). Cash Box. February 12, 1966. pp. 7, 46.
  29. ^ Stewart, Dick (April 6, 2005). "Up Close with Billy Truitt". The Lance Monthly. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  30. ^ Group renamed following Kingsmen lawsuit settlement. Courtmen name suggested by Bobby Darin. Various "Ely Kingsmen" and Courtmen line-ups included Jack Ely, Charlie Coe, Mike Holiday, Rick Holley, Gordon Hirsch, Bob Jetter, Steve West, Neil Heller, Ray Salaz, Daryl "Robin" Partlow, Curt Gonion, Wally Todd, Billy Truitt, Mike "Monk" McGrath, Tim Bosworth, William "Willie Dee" Daffern, and Clif Evens.
  31. ^ Selvin 2014, pp. 331–333.
  32. ^ Marsh 1993, p. 113
  33. ^ "Overdue fairness for recording artists". The Oregonian. May 10, 2009. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  34. ^ "Jack Ely". Jackely.bandcamp.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  35. ^ "'Louie Louie' singer Jack Ely of The Kingsmen dies". KOIN 6 News. April 28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  36. ^ DuBois, Steven (April 28, 2015). "'Louie Louie' Singer Jack Ely Dies at 71". Time. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  37. ^ Roberts, Sam (April 29, 2015). "Jack Ely, Who Sang the Kingsmen's 'Louie Louie', Dies at 71". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  38. ^ "Jack Ely". The Times (subscription required). April 30, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  39. The Bend Bulletin. May 5, 2015. Archived
    from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  40. ^ McArdle, Terence (April 29, 2015). "Jack Ely, whose garbled version of 'Louie Louie' became a sensation, dies". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2015.

References

External links