Ron Bushy Cause of Death: Iron Butterfly Drummer Tragic Last Days Revealed

By Alexandria Reeves

(Photo : Getty Images) Members of the group are LTR: Erik Brann, Ron Bushy, Lee Dorman, and Doug Ingle.

Ron Bushy, the drummer of the rock band Iron Butterfly, has died. He was 79.

Bushy's family and band confirmed the death of the musician, saying that he died after his recent admission at a local hospital.

According to Iron Butterfly, the drummer passed away "peacefully" at UCLA Santa Monica Hospital on August 9. His wife, Nancy, and their three daughters were reportedly with him during his final moments.

The band also referred to him as a real fighter but refused to reveal more details about Ron Bushy's cause of death.

However, Daily Mail noted that Bushy had been suffering from some kind of cancer, while Mirror UK confirmed that it was esophageal cancer that caused his health to deteriorate.

Per the National Cancer Institute, people who are into smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and have Barrett's esophagus can develop this type of malignant cancer.

Following his death, their longtime fans left heartfelt messages to honor his decades' worth of legacy as a musician.

One fan shared the news alongside the caption, "RIP Ron Bushy. literally one of my favorite psych-rock drummers ever."

"RIP Ron Bushy, as iconic a drummer as there ever was. We have lost another legend," David Alridge, the author of "The Elements of Rhythm," penned.

Ron Bushy's Journey in Music Industry

Bushy's journey with Iron Butterfly began in the 1960s. He replaced the band's original drummer, Robert Morse, who left due to a family emergency.

He was the only original member to appear on the band's six albums - from "Heavy" in 1968 to "Sun and Steel" in 1975. Throughout their career, the band faced multiple breakups. Initially, Iron Butterfly disbanded in 1971 before coming back in 1974.

The band then broke up again in 1985 before returning in 1987. In 2012, it stepped down from the spotlight again before going back in 2015 and remained active since then.

Despite the rollercoaster ride, Bushy became one of the consistent members of the band. They famously created a 17-minute song, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

Before his death, he was still able to appear in an interview with Vinyl Writer this year and detailed how they the legendary song in Hempstead.

"We set up our equipment and Don says, 'Guys, why don't you just start playing and let me get some mic levels.' We decided let's do 'Vida'... we played the entire song without stopping. To make a long story short, when we finished, he said, 'Guys, come into the control room.' We listened to it and were blown away," he went on.