Age, Biography and Wiki

Jack Ely was born on 11 September, 1943 in Portland, Oregon, United States, is an American guitarist and singer. Discover Jack Ely's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 71 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation Musician, horse trainer
Age 71 years old
Zodiac Sign Virgo
Born 11 September, 1943
Birthday 11 September
Birthplace Portland, Oregon, United States
Date of death 28 April, 2015
Died Place Terrebonne, Oregon, United States
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 11 September. He is a member of famous guitarist with the age 71 years old group.

Jack Ely Height, Weight & Measurements

At 71 years old, Jack Ely height not available right now. We will update Jack Ely's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Not Available
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Jack Ely Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Jack Ely worth at the age of 71 years old? Jack Ely’s income source is mostly from being a successful guitarist. He is from United States. We have estimated Jack Ely's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income guitarist

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Timeline

1943

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.

Jack Ely was born on September 11, 1943, in Portland, Oregon.

Both of his parents were music majors at the University of Oregon, and his father, Ken Ely, was a singer.

His father died when he was four years old and his mother subsequently remarried.

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.

1956

On January 28, 1956, Ely watched Elvis Presley on television for the first time, and he decided that he wanted to play guitar.

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.

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.

Ely was enrolled at Washington High School in Portland, Oregon.

He did not play in the school band, but had a passion for singing.

1959

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.

In 1959, Lynn Easton's mother invited him to play at a Portland hotel gig, with Ely singing and playing guitar with the backup band and Easton on the drum kit.

The two teenagers had grown up together, as their parents were close friends.

Easton and Ely performed at yacht club parties, and soon added Mike Mitchell on guitar and Bob Nordby on bass to round out a band.

They called themselves the Kingsmen, taking the name from a recently disbanded group.

The Kingsmen began their collective career playing at fashion shows, Red Cross events, and supermarket promotions, generally avoiding rock songs on their setlist.

Ely played with the Kingsmen as he attended Portland State University.

1962

In 1962, while playing a gig at the Pypo Club in Seaside, Oregon, the band noticed Rockin' Robin Roberts's version of "Louie Louie" being played on the jukebox for hours on end.

The entire club would get up and dance.

Ely convinced the Kingsmen to learn the song, which they played at dances to a great crowd response.

He unintentionally changed the beat of the entire song, basing it on Roberts's intro only.

Ken Chase, host of radio station KISN, formed his own club dubbed "The Chase" to capitalize on these dance crazes.

The Kingsmen became the club's house band and Ken Chase became the band's manager.

1963

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.

The band had just played a 90-minute "Louie Louie" marathon.

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."

In addition, he was wearing braces at the time of the performance, further compounding his infamously slurred words.

Ely sang the beginning of the third verse a few bars too early, but realized his mistake and waited for the rest of the band to catch up.

In what was thought to be a warm-up, the song was recorded in its first and only take.

The Kingsmen were not proud of the version, but their manager liked the rawness of their cover.

The B-side was "Haunted Castle", composed by Ely and Don Gallucci, the new keyboardist.

2015

Ely died in Terrebonne, Oregon, on April 28, 2015, at age 71.