Rudolph Isley of The Isley Brothers dies at age 84

(October 12, 2023) He was a key member of one of the most iconic groups of all time, with a longevity unmatched in popular music. Today we mourn the passing of Rudolph Isley, co-founder of the legendary family act The Isley Brothers. He was 84.

In acknowledging Rudolph Isley’s passing, brother and group lead singer Ron Isley told CNN “There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place.”

The amalgamation of siblings and in-laws known as the Isley Brothers withstood time, vast changes in musical styles, revolutionary developments in race relations and age to become by any measure one of the most important musical groups of the past six decades. Formed in the mid-50s by brothers Ronald, Rudolph and O'Kelly Isley in their hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, the brothers struggled for several years as teenagers to score a hit record. They finally achieved national attention and a minor hit in 1959 with the ultimate rock classic "Shout" (which received a second life in the movie "Animal House") on RCA. They wouldn't have another hit for three years, when their cover of "Twist and Shout" became a hit (and later became a much bigger hit for the Beatles.

The brothers then signed with Motown and toiled through the mid-60s with only moderate success, as Motown tried to mold the Isleys into a "Motown Machine" group, generally unsuccessfully. They scored one major hit there, the classic "This Old Heart of Mine,” but mostly found frustration. The group left Motown in 1968, forming their own T-Neck label, and struck immediate gold with "It's Your Thing," a funky double-entendre that shot to the top of the pop and Soul charts. Younger brothers Marvin (bass), and Ernie (lead guitar) and brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards) joined their backup band about this time, adding fresh funk and hard rock elements that completed what became the trademark Isley Brothers sound. In 1972 the group released its best album to date, Brother Brother Brother, a mixture of funky, percussive numbers and smooth, if ponderous, ballads that is still considered by many the seminal Isley Brothers album.

In 1973, the three younger members formally joined the group, and were introduced in 3+3, an out-of-the-box smash that featured the hard rocking rock and soul hit, "That Lady." This began a string of gold and platinum albums that elevated the Isley Brothers to the stratosphere of popular black music, making them perhaps the quintessential Soul group of the 1970s and the first to successfully merge the funk sounds of Sly and the Family Stone with the electric rock work of former Isley guitarist Jimi Hendrix – but countering them with sweet, sensual ballads that gave the group a powerful one-two punch.

The Isleys kept the hits coming more than a decade. Funked up cuts "Live It Up," "Livin In The Life," "Harvest For the World," and "Take Me To The Next Phase," alternated with sweet, sexy ballads like "Groove With You," "Footsteps In The Dark" "Between the Sheet,” and “Voyage to Atlantis.”

The Isley brothers split in two in 1984, with the younger three members forming Isley/Jasper/Isley (which scored the hit "Caravan of Love"). But the elder Isleys continued on, scoring several minor hits over the next few years, most notably the midtempo number "Smooth Sailing Tonight." Sadly, brother O'Kelly died of a heart attack in 1986, and Rudolph left two years later to become a minister, ultimately relocating to Chicago with his wife Elaine to be near their grown children.

Ronald became as solo performer before reuniting with Ernie, and the two have continued to record and tour well into the 2020s (bother Marvin Isley died in 2010). Unfortunately, in the past few years, a simmering dispute between Rudolph and Ron led to the two going to court to fight over the rights to the Isley Brothers name and to royalties relating to the continuing use of the name by Ron and Ernie. The trial over the dispute was scheduled for this fall, resulting in an unfortunately bitter final period in the filial relationship prior to Rudolph’s passing.

For at least two generations of fans, this is a terribly sad day, even as it leads us to recall glorious decade after decade of the music of our lives provided by the Isley Brothers. Rest in peace, Rudolph Isley.

By Chris Rizik