Terribly sad news for the rock world today, as Ron Bushy, longtime drummer for seminal hard rockers Iron Butterfly, has died. He was 79 years old.
The band posted the following statement on their Facebook yesterday: “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 was born Dec 23, 1941. He will be deeply missed!”
According to TMZ, Ron had been battling cancer, though what kind is not clear.
Bushy grew up in Washington, DC, but didn’t pick up the drums until he was a college student in San Diego. He joined Iron Butterfly in 1966, replacing drummer Bruce Morse. The band blew up due to the success of their 1968 single “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” on the album of the same name.
Everyone at The Pit sends their heart out to Ron’s family, friends, fans and collaborators during this difficult time.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
