Former Kingsmen singer Jack Ely has died at the age of 71. According to KOIN, the singer's son reported that he died in Oregon.

The singer's son, Sean, confirmed his father's death, saying the musician had long been suffering from an unspecified illness; because of Jack's religious beliefs, the family does not know what it was.

Sean said that his father later trained horses in central Oregon, content with being a one-hit wonder.

Ely co-founded the Kingsmen in 1959, with the group recording its cover of Richard Berry's 1957 tune "Louie Louie" for $52 and releasing it in 1963.

Ely left the band shortly after the band released the single. The song became a number two hit and stayed on the charts for 16 weeks.