Rudolph Isley, founding member of The Isley Brothers, dead at 84
Rudolph Isley, one of the founding members of the famous R&B vocal group The Isley Brothers, has passed away at the age of 84.
Along with his brothers O’Kelly, Vernon, and Ronald, Rudolph Isley founded the singing act as a gospel group. The band’s original lead singer was Vernon, but when he was killed after being hit by a car at just 13 years old, the group disbanded out of grief.
The remaining three brothers regrouped and moved to New York City in 1957. Across the next six decades, the Brothers recorded hit songs like ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘This Old Heart of Mine’, ‘It’s Your Thing’, and their signature song, ‘Shout’. Briefly, in the mid-1960s, Jimi Hendrix was the group’s lead guitarist.
The Isley Brothers have been recording and performing continuously since, wracking up additional hit singles like ‘That Lady’, ‘Fight The Power’, ‘For the Love of You’, and ‘Don’t Say Goodnight’. In the later part of the 1970s, Rudy sang lead on songs like ‘You Still Feel the Need’ and ‘It’s a Disco Night (Rock Don’t Stop)’.
Rudy Isley left The Isley Brothers in 1989 to become a Christian minister. Isley had been devastated by his brother Kelly’s death three years prior and expressed a desire to leave the music industry. The Isley Brothers continued under Ronnie’s leadership.
Along with his brothers, Isley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Rudy briefly reunited with Ronald and his brother Ernie in 2004 when the brothers were honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards.
Rudolph also produced the 1970 film It’s Your Thing, a concert film from a performance at the Yankee Stadium in New York City on June 21st of that year, with Tina Turner and Patti Austin.
Isley is survived by his wife, Elaine Jasper.
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