’60s Rock Music Legend Dead at 78: Doug Ingle Was Founder of Iron Butterfly

Doug Ingle, the lead vocalist and organist of the heavy rock band Iron Butterfly, has died. Ingle passed away “peacefully” on Friday, May 24 at the age of 78, his son, Doug Ingle Jr., confirmed in a Facebook tribute. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“It’s with a heavy heart [and] great sadness to announce the passing of my Father Doug Ingle. Dad passed away peacefully this evening in the presence of family,” Ingle Jr. wrote. “Thank You Dad for being a father, teacher and friend. Cherished loving memories I will carry the rest of my days moving forward in this journey of life.”

Ingle was the last surviving member of the original lineup of Iron Butterfly, which he co-founded in San Diego in 1966 alongside Jack Pinney on the drums, Greg Willis on the bass, and Danny Weis on the guitar. He was also the last surviving member of the group’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” lineup, which came together after the group signed a record deal, per Deadline. That lineup included drummer Ron Bushy (who passed in 2021 at age 79), bassist Lee Dornan (who died in 2012 at age 70), and guitarist Erik Brann (who passed in 2003 at age 52).

Released in 1968, the 17-minute FM radio smash “In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida” became the group’s biggest success. According to Rolling Stone, the group’s 1968 sophomore album named after the hit single sold a reported 30 million copies worldwide. Variety reports that the album pent 81 weeks in the top 10 in the U.S. and previously stood as the bestselling album in Atlantic Records’ history. A three-minute version of the title track, whose title was based on Bushy’s mishearing of “In the Garden of Eden,” landed at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also featured in “Bart Sells His Soul,” a 1995 episode of The Simpsons that saw Bart sneak a version of the song into his church’s worship service under the title “In The Garden Of Eden.”

Following In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly released their album Ball in 1969, which was followed in 1970 with Metamorphosis. The band broke up the following year, with Ingle going on to have short stints with the group Stark Naked and the Car Thieves. He also took part in short Iron Butterfly reunions in the late ’70 and ’80s before rejoining the group for a longer stint in the late 1990s. That reunion ended when Ingle retired from performing altogether in 1999.