Angelina Jolie's Uncle & 'Wild Thing' Songwriter Chip Taylor Dead at 86

Chip Taylor, beloved uncle to Angelina Jolie and the man who wrote the classic song "Wild Thing," is dead.

Chip died Monday night in hospice care, according to a social media post from Grammy-winning singer Billy Vera. The official cause of death is unclear.

Chip's songwriting catalog is impressive ... he wrote "Wild Thing" for The Troggs in the 1960s, plus "Angel of the Morning" for Merrilee Rush.

The family connections are just as impressive ... Chip was born James Wesley Voight, the brother of actor Jon Voight. As such, he's Angelina Jolie's and James Haven's uncle.

Chip wrote songs for big acts and even did some singing of his own ... he released a couple of albums in the 1970s, including "Chip Taylor's Last Chance" and "This Side of the Big River."

The guy led a pretty interesting life ... he launched a couple of record companies and was a professional gambler who specialized in playing blackjack.

Chip was 86.