The Kingsmen

The Kingsmen stand out as the most successful and influential rock and roll band to emerge from Oregon. Their rendition of "Louie Louie" became a nationwide sensation in 1964, solidifying its status as one of the most enduring rock songs in history.

The band originated in Portland in 1959, when two teenage friends—drummer Lynn Easton and guitarist Jack Ely—began performing popular music together. By 1960, Mike Mitchell on lead guitar and Bob Nordby on bass had joined the lineup. Ken Chase, a local Top 40 radio personality and owner of the Chase, a teen dance club in Milwaukie, Oregon, took the band under his wing, and the Kingsmen became the house band at the club in 1961. Don Gallucci added keyboards to the group in 1962.

"Louie Louie," originally an R&B calypso tune about a homesick sailor, was penned and recorded by Los Angeles singer Richard Berry in 1956, achieving brief regional success in California. Berry sold the rights to the song for $750 in 1959. A few years later, the song was rediscovered by bands in the Seattle area, with Rockin' Robin Roberts and the Wailers recording it, leading to its popularity in the Northwest by 1961. This version became a staple in the Kingsmen's repertoire.

On April 6, 1963, Ken Chase met the band at a Portland recording studio to record "Louie Louie" as their first single. After just two takes, he deemed the recording satisfactory. The track featured Jack Ely's vocals, recorded through a boom microphone positioned above him. A thousand copies were pressed on the Jerden label out of Seattle. Although the song received some airplay in the Northwest, it did not gain traction until October, when influential Boston disc jockey Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsberg labeled it as his "Worst Record of the Week." This unexpected exposure led to a surge in popularity, and when the record was re-released on the Wand label, it began to climb the Billboard charts, largely due to sales in the Northeast.

In August 1963, the Kingsmen disbanded as Ely and Nordby left the group due to disagreements with Easton. He subsequently reformed the band, which saw several personnel changes, ultimately including Dick Peterson on drums, Norm Sundholm on bass, and Barry Curtis on keyboards. Easton took over as lead vocalist. The William Morris Agency assumed management, and the Kingsmen recorded their debut album while embarking on extensive tours.

By December 14, "Louie Louie" had soared to number two on the Billboard charts, where it remained for six weeks. However, the obscurity of Ely's vocal performance sparked controversy, culminating in a complaint to Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh about the song's allegedly obscene lyrics. Welsh and his staff deemed the lyrics "pornographic" and requested the Indiana Broadcasters Association to ban the record. The FBI subsequently launched an investigation to ascertain whether "Louie Louie" violated federal laws against transporting obscene materials. After two and a half years, the FBI concluded that it could not determine if the lyrics were obscene due to their unintelligibility. Meanwhile, imagined lyrics circulated among high school and college students across the United States, further elevating the Kingsmen's popularity.

The Kingsmen continued to tour and make national television appearances, achieving another top-ten hit with "The Jolly Green Giant" in 1965. However, by the end of 1967, changing musical tastes led to a decline in their popularity, resulting in another disbandment. Since the 1970s, original member Mike Mitchell, along with Dick Peterson and Barry Curtis, has continued to perform as the Kingsmen with various musicians. Jack Ely passed away in 2015.

"Louie Louie" experienced a resurgence in popularity when it was featured in the movie Animal House in 1978. The song has been covered by numerous artists and is widely recognized as one of the most significant recordings in rock and roll history. The original recording of "Louie Louie" was made in one take—some say two—during a one-hour session that cost just $36.

**Members:** - Mike Mitchell (1959-Died April 16, 2021) - Dick Peterson (1963-present) - Steve Peterson (1988-present) - Todd McPherson (1992-present) - Dennis Mitchell (2006-present)

**Past Members:** - Lynn Easton (1959-1967) - Jack Ely (1959-1963) - Bob Nordby (1959-1963) - Don Gallucci (1962-1963) - Gary Abbott (1962-1963) - Norm Sundholm (1963-1967) - Barry Curtis (1963-2005) - Kerry Magness (1966-1967) - J.C. Reick (1966-1967) - Turley Richards (1967) - Pete Borg (1967) - Jeff Beals (1967-1968) - Steve Friedson (1967-1973) - Yank Barry (1968-1970) - Fred Dennis (1972-1984) - Andy Parypa (1982-1984) - Kim Nicklaus (1982-1984) - Marc Willett (1984-1992) - Keith Blake (1994-1999)