Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy, RIP

Ron Bushy, who played drums with Iron Butterfly, died on Sunday at age 79. The band's statement: “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. All three of his daughters were also with him. He was a real fighter … He will be deeply missed!”

While not an founding member of the band, Ron joined Iron Butterfly in 1967 in time for their first single and was the only constant in the lineup across their six studio albums. Those included 1968's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida featuring the iconic 17-minute heavy psych title track. It was Bushy who gave the song its title, mishearing the phrase “In the Garden of Eden,” and his primal playing gave the song its oomph, complete with his killer drum solo.

Rest easy, Ron.