 Ely was enrolled at Washington High School in Portland , Oregon . He did not play in the school band , but had a passion for singing . In 1959 , Lynn Easton 's mother invited him to play at a Portland hotel gig , with Ely singing and playing guitar with the backup band and Easton on the drum kit . The two teenagers grew up together , as their parents were close friends . Easton and Ely performed at yacht club parties , and soon added Mike Mitchell on guitar and Bob Nordby on bass to round out a band . They called themselves The Kingsmen , taking the name from a recently disbanded group . The Kingsmen began their collective career playing at fashion shows , Red Cross events , and supermaket promotions , generally avoiding rock songs on their setlist . Ely played with the Kingsmen as he attended Portland State University . 
