Iron Butterfly • About Us
The Los Angeles music climate of the late sixties and seventies was characterized by the heavy sounds and sentiments that reflected the revolutionary attitudes of the generation. Bursting onto that scene was Iron Butterfly, whose sound not only epitomized the hard attitudes of the youth with its heavy drumming and bass lines, but also embraced more delicate aspirations through its intricate guitar and keyboard overlays.
Iron Butterfly was signed to ATCO records (a division of Atlantic Records) and released their first album, aptly titled “Heavy”. While the band was on the road with the likes of: The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Traffic, The Who, and Cream, their impressive debut stayed on Billboard’s album charts for almost a year.
They followed up with the monumental LP, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, featuring the 17:05 minute side-long track that shook the entire music industry with its phenomenal reception. ‘Vida out-sold every record in the history of recorded music within the first year of its release and therefore outgrew and outsold the standard of the music industry’s “Gold Album” award.
For this achievement, Iron Butterfly was subsequently awarded The Industry’s Very First “Platinum Album”. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” stayed on the charts for 140 weeks, with 81 weeks in the Top Ten. To date the album has sold in excess of 30+ million copies and remains an undisputed classic in the archives of rock with DJ’s and audiophiles worldwide.
Within a year of releasing “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, Iron Butterfly had charted a third album, “Ball”,
which surpassed “Vida” (still in Billboard’s Top 10) turning “Gold”, and climbed to No.#1.
“Ball” remained on the charts for 44 weeks, followed by two more album releases
“Live” and“Metamorphosis”, each charting respectably in the Top 20.
AWARDS
Silver Album Award • Two Gold Album Awards • Two Platinum Album Awards
4x Multi-Platinum Album Award • Lifetime Achievement Award
*After Breaking All Sales Records, Iron Butterfly was awarded the
Music Industry’s First Platinum Award
FEATURED IN MOVIES & TV SHOWS
American Horror Story (2013) • Hell Ride (2008) • Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
House M.D. (2007) • Salvador (2006) • Criminal Minds (2006) • Supernatural (2005)
The Simpsons (2005 & 1994) • Tag World Grand Prix (2005) • Playboy: 50 Years of Playmates (2004
Mission Hill (1999) • Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999) • The Sonny & Cher Story (1999)
Seinfeld (1997) • Baseball (1994) • Fatal Instinct (1993) • Home Improvement (1991)
Freddy’s Dead The Final Nightmare (1991) • The Wonder Years (1990 & 1989)
Manhunter (1986) • The A-Team (1986) • Pleasure Island (1975) • The Psychiatrist (1971)
Freeform (1970) • In For Life (1970) • Red Man Cometh (1970)
Iron Butterfly is touring and thrilling audiences worldwide with their High-Energy Show and performing all the Hits…
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” • “Iron Butterfly Theme” • “Soul Experience” • “Easy Rider” • “Butterfly Bleu”
“Stone Believer” • “Soldier in Our Town” • ” In The Time Of Our Lives” • “New Day”
and many more.
The Band
Lead Guitar & Vocals
Eric, lead singer and guitar player, joined up with Iron Butterfly’s Ron Bushy, Doug Ingle and Lee Dorman in 1994 through Derek Hilland, who was also in the band. Derek left for
He remembers looking across the stage at Ron, Doug and Lee and thinking “I can’t believe I’m up here rocking with my heroes”.
Although Lee has passed on and Doug has retired, the current members are as solid as it gets and every performance is pure enjoyment.
Bass Guitar & Vocals
Dave has over 30 years of experience touring internationally and recording with artists such as Eric Burdon and The Animals, Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and The Raiders), Sugarloaf, Gary Myrick and The Figures, Spencer Davis, Robbie Krieger (The Doors), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Bobby Kimball and Simon Phillips (Toto), and jazz fusion keyboard legend Brian Auger (Oblivion Express / Trinity), and also a founding member in the progressive rock band Spock’s Beard, who have 13 studio CDs to their credit as well as numerous live CDs and DVDs. Dave first played with Iron Butterfly on a substitute basis in 2006 then became a permanent member in 2015.
Keyboards & Vocals
Drums
Hailing from Joliet, Illinois, he started playing drums at the age of eight and has never stopped. We all welcome Bernie to our Epic Rock Band “Iron Butterfly”
Bernie’s track record includes years of work with Eric Burdon and the Animals, Edgar Winter, Beth Hart, Walter Trout, Olivia Newton-John, Dwight Twilley, Greg Kihn, and Chuck Berry.
Members who were on the first two Iron Butterfly albums.
Danny Weis Guitarist. Lives in Collingwood Ontario Canada.
Doug Ingle Keyboard, Vocals. Doug is currently is not performing live.
Jerry Penrod Bass Guitar. Jerry retired a couple years ago. Lives in California.
Ron Bushy Drums. Ron, “In A Gadda Da Vida” Drum Solo.
Darryl DeLoach Vocalist. Darryl was the lead singer on many songs on the Heavy album.
Eric Braunn – Guitarist. Eric joined at age seventeen (Vida & Ball).
Lee Dorman Bassist. Lee joined the band for the Vida album and beyond.
