The rock n’ roll world has just lost a true legend and icon, and fans worldwide are in mourning. News has just come in that Rudolph Isley, founder of the group The Isley Brothers, has passed away at the age of 84.
He passed away on October 11th in Illinois. Sources tell TMZ he possibly suffered a heart attack.
Rudolph Isley, Founding Member of the Isley Brothers, Has Died at 84.
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— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) October 12, 2023
Rudolph was born in Cincinnati Ohio and spent much of his early life singing gospel music in church. In 1958 he married Elaine Jasper and together they had four children.
In the late 1950s he teamed up with his brothers Ronald (82) and O’Kelly to form The Isley Brothers. They rose to fame with hit songs such as “Twist & Shout”, “This Old Heart of Mine”, and “It’s Your Thing”. By 1971 Ernie and Marvin joined their older siblings along with brother-in-law Chris Jasper to complete the band lineup.
The influence of the legendary group has spanned generations inspiring rappers like Ice Cube and Notorious B.I.G., who sampled their music in their own work. In 1992 they were inducted into Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame by Little Richard himself – an incredible honor for any musician.
Even after Rudolph left the band in 1989 to become a pastor he still made occasional appearances alongside them over time releasing further hits such as “Busted” and “Contagious”.
Earlier this year Rudolph sued Ronald claiming that Ronald registered The Isley Brother’s trademark behind his back without informing him or compensating him for it properly. This was according to an agreement made between them after O’Kelly’s death from a heart attack 1986 which stated that any profits should be split evenly between them both.
Unfortunately these issues were not resolved before Rudolph passed away leaving it unclear what will happen now regarding this situation or who will inherit his share in “The Isley Brothers” brand name.
