'Louie Louie' singer Jack Ely dies in Oregon at 71.

• Author: DeBois, Steven
• Position: News

Byline: Steven DeBois

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jack Ely, the singer known for ''Louie Louie,'' the low-budget recording that became one the most famous songs of the 20th century, died at his home in Redmond, Oregon, after a long battle with an illness. He was 71.

His son, Sean Ely, confirmed the death Tuesday.

''Because of his religious beliefs, we're not even sure what (the illness) was,'' he said.

Jack Ely was an original member of the Kingsmen, a band formed in 1959 that mostly performed cover versions of songs. Four years later, the group recorded ''Louie Louie'' at a studio in its home city of Portland. According to lore, it cost $36.

The song was written in the mid-1950s by Richard Berry, a Los Angeles musician with roots in doo-wop music. As he recorded it in 1957, the tune had a calypso feel and described a patron telling...