The musician was the last member of the original lineup of the rock group, famous for the psychedelic hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
Doug Ingle, lead singer and keyboardist for the band Iron Butterfly, died on Friday (5/24) at the age of 78. He was the last surviving member of the group’s original lineup, which began playing in San Diego in 1966.
Family announcement
Ingle’s death was announced by his son, Doug Ingle Jr., on social media. “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Doug Ingle. Dad passed away peacefully tonight in the presence of his family. Thank you for being a father, a teacher and a friend. I will carry loving memories for the rest of my days,” Doug Jr. wrote, without revealing the cause of death.
Success with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”
Most of Iron Butterfly’s success came with the 17-minute song “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”. The 1968 self-titled album spent 81 weeks in the US top 10 and, for a time, was the best-selling album in Atlantic Records history, being certified four times platinum.
The legend surrounding the title claims its origin as a poorly articulated version of “In the Garden of Eden”, misunderstood by drummer Ron Bushy. The original version of the song was a minute-and-a-half country ballad, but it eventually morphed into a sprawling 17-minute track that has become iconic.
An edited version of “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, lasting only two minutes and 52 seconds. topped the charts and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, though this doesn’t fully represent how much the song has infiltrated the culture and become an endearing joke in rock circles, either as a symbol of excessive length or simply something that a DJ FM at night might play while you take a smoke break or go to the bathroom.
Cultural impact
The song “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” has been covered by several bands and artists, including Slayer, The Residents and Boney M. It has also appeared on film soundtracks such as Michael Mann’s “Hunter” (1986 and .). it was even parodied in an episode of “The Simpsons,” in which Bart Simpson inserts a version of the song into a church service.
Career and Dating
Iron Butterfly did not maintain a consistent presence on the music scene after their heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band broke up in 1971, and Doug Ingle attended brief reunions in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as a longer one. the 1990s, ending with his retirement in 1999.
The band’s other members also died recently: guitarist Erik Brann in 2003, bassist Lee Dornan in 2012, and drummer Ron Bushy in 2021.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1995, when the group was starting a reunion tour, Ingle talked about what happened after their initial success. “It was all so quick and easy,” he assessed, describing how he became a multimillionaire in his early 20s, but then was hit hard by unpaid tax debts and lost a 600-acre ranch, a condominium and even his grand piano , before resolving its tax problems in 1986.
Although his career was marked by ups and downs, including financial problems and internal disputes, the singer made his mark on psychedelic rock with “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, influencing generations of musicians and fans.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
