Ron Bushy, the drummer of the hard rock pioneering band Iron Butterfly, died on Sunday at the age of 79. The cause of death has not been disclosed. “Ron Bushy, our beloved legendary drummer of Iron Butterfly, has passed away peacefully, with his wife Nancy by his side, at 12:05am on August 29th at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital,” the band said in a statement. “All three of his daughters were also with him. He was a real fighter… He will be deeply missed!”
From left to right: Eric Brann, Ron Bushy, Lee Dorman, Doug Ingle (1969)
Bushy was the only original member to appear on all six of the band’s albums and continued to perform with the group’s various incarnations over the decades.
Born on December 23, 1945, Bushy joined Iron Butterfly in 1966. Best known for his percussion solos in the band’s 1968 hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” from their second studio album, Bushy was also featured on their third and fourth album: Ball (1969) and Metamorphosis (1970) – until when the band parted ways in 1971. After a hiatus, he rejoined the band when the group revived in 1974 with their fifth and sixth album: Scorching Beauty and Sun and Steel, which were released in 1975. Even after the band broke up again, Bushy continued to play drums for Iron Butterfly as the band reformed again despite various line-up changes.
Ron Bushy at the Iron Butterfly concert at Blue Note in Poznań in 2012.
Although they were not recording new albums, the band continued touring for many decades. Bushy was a reliable and irreplaceable figure in the group, consistently sitting behind the drums during the band’s live performances. Health problems eventually forced Bushy to withdraw from the tour in mid-2010, but the drummer still made occasional guest appearances at concerts.
The band is currently scheduled to play three nights in Park City, Utah in October.
Tributes from fellow drummers and fans have already started pouring in:
Carmine Appice: “Dam another friend gone Ron Bushy drummer for Iron Butterfly. He played on the classic song ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida‘. Sad RIP my friend.”
Ron Hurst (Steppenwolf): “That really sucks! I knew Ron well and we used to hang out whenever we’d gig together. He was a great guy, a very gentle humble person. Sad news. 
I used to kid with him whenever we’d hang out saying “two Ron’s don’t make a right!
“
Rick Latham: “This is very sad… Ron was one of my very early influences and inspirations. We later became friends while playing shows together, when I was touring with Edgar Winter. I think every drummer my age spent hours learning the ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ drum solo. My heartfelt condolences to his family, Iron Butterfly, his friends and fans. R.I.P. My Brother….Legend…
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