Jack Ely

Jack Ely is 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. He lives in Terrebonne, Oregon.