His song ‘Louie Louie’ became a sensation

JACK ELY | Sept. 11, 1943 - April 28, 2015

Jack Ely, the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Kingsmen, whose 1963 recording of “Louie Louie” became a defining song of the garage rock movement and whose unintelligible lyrics drew FBI scrutiny, died April 28 at his home in Redmond, Ore. He was 71.

His son, Sean Ely, confirmed the death but did not disclose the cause.

“Louie Louie” was a three-chord rock song written and recorded in the late 1950s by Richard Berry, and its story involved a sailor telling a bartender named Louie that he wants to sail back to Jamaica and the girl he loves.

When an alarmed parent sent a letter to then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the FBI stepped in to investigate the lyrics. After a probe lasting 31 months, the law-enforcement agency concluded that it was “unable to interpret any of the wording in the record.”

Years later, Mr. Ely explained his unusual vocal phrasing. He said his braces had been tightened the day before recording. In addition, he had to stand on tiptoe to reach a microphone that an engineer had suspended from the ceiling to give a more ambient sound.

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Jack to Brown Ely was born in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 11, 1943. He learned piano as a child and turned to guitar after seeing Elvis Presley perform on TV. He co-founded the Kingsmen in 1959.