Doug Indle is no more. The singer and organist of the American rock group Iron Butterfly, which he co-founded in 1966, has died at the age of 78. It was he who wrote the 17-minute hit entitled “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, released in 1968, which made the group famous.
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was featured on Iron Butterfly’s album of the same name, which spent 81 weeks in the top 10 in the United States. Certified four times platinum, it has sold more than 400,000 copies. A three-minute radio version of the song also became a Top 5 hit on the Hot 100 and a rock classic.
This now legendary title was at the heart of an episode of The Simpsons entitled “Bart Sells His Soul”, released in 1995, and is part of the soundtrack of the famous horror film “The Sixth Sense” (“Manhunter” in original version). ), released in 1986.
Cause of death not revealed
The song is 17 minutes long in part because Iron Butterfly’s studio engineer asked the band to play the song for a long time, so he could adjust its levels and make the recording without the members of the group do not realize it. In the end, it was this long version that made this hit a lasting success and a true pop cultural reference, inspiring several groups like Slayer, the Residents, and Boney M.
It was his son Doug Ingle Jr. who announced the death of his father on social networks: “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I announce the death of my father Doug Ingle. Dad passed away peacefully this evening (Editor’s note, Friday May 24) in the presence of his family. Thank you Dad for being a father, a teacher and a friend. (…) I love you Dad,” he wrote. The cause of his death has not been revealed.
Doug Ingle was the last surviving member of the band’s original lineup following the deaths of guitarist Erik Brann in 2003 at age 52, bassist Lee Dornan in 2012 at age 70, and drummer Ron Bushy in 2021 at age 79.
