Rudolph Isley, one of the founding members of The Isley Brothers, has died at 84 years old. The cause of death has not been released at this time.
“There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother,” his brother Ronald said in a statement to Billboard. “Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place.”
Formed in 1954, The Isley Brothers consisted of Rudolph and his siblings Ronald, O’Kelly and Vernon in the beginning stages. The brothers regularly performed at their church in Cincinnati. They halted their music careers, though, after Vernon, who was the group’s lead singer, was fatally struck by a car at just 13 years old.
In 1957, the surviving brothers rebranded with Ronnie as the new frontman. Together, they headed to New York City, which eventually led to their first deal with RCA Records in 1959.
Soon after inking a deal with RCA, the trio released their first album, Shout!
In 1971, the group expanded, adding younger brothers Ernie and Marvin, along with Rudolph’s brother-in-law, Chris Jasper.
The group released one of their first major singles, “It’s Your Thing,” in early 1969. “It’s Your Thing” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart. A string of iconic hits soon followed, including “Fight the Power Part 1,” “That Lady,” “I Wanna Be with You,” “Don’t Say Goodnight (It’s Time For Love)” and “Between the Sheets.”
Amid their success, Rudolph left the group for the church in 1989. He became a minister but often reunited with his brothers for special appearances and performances.
In 1992, The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Fellow music pioneer Little Richard presented them with the honor. The trio received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards in 2004.
As Blavity reported earlier this year, Rudolph sued Ronald over The Isley Brothers trademark. The late singer accused Ronald of making business transactions behind his back and excluding him from a significant amount of money.
Rudolph married his wife, Elaine Jasper, in 1958; they were longtime residents of Otisville, New York, before relocating to Olympia Fields near Chicago. He is survived by his children, Rudy Jr., Elizabeth, Valerie and Elaine.
