Classic rockers Iron Butterfly scored a massive hit in 1968 with the legendary “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.” Composed by singer/organist Doug Ingle, the song spent 81 weeks in the U.S. Top 10, and has been covered by everyone from Slayer to The Simpsons. The original version clocks in at more than 17 minutes.
Ingle co-founded Iron Butterfly in 1966, and the band hit it big with their sophomore album which went on to sell more than 30 million copies. Sadly, Ingle passed away on Friday at the age of 78.
“It’s with a heavy heart & great sadness to announce the passing of my Father Doug Ingle,” wrote his son via social media. “Dad passed away peacefully Friday evening May 24 in the presence of family. 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. Love you Dad”.
Ingle was the last surviving member of Iron Butterfly’s In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” lineup. The band’s drummer Ron Bushy previously said of the legendary song: “‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ was written as a slow country ballad, about one-and-a-half minutes long. I came home late one night and Doug had been drinking a whole gallon of Red Mountain wine. I asked him what he had done, while he has been playing a slow ballad on his Vox keyboard. It was hard to understand him because he was so drunk … so I wrote it down on a napkin exactly how it sounded phonetically to me: ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.’ It was supposed to be ‘In the Garden of Eden.’”
