Rudy Isley Dies

Rudolph Isley is a prominent American musician known for his involvement in the legendary R&B and soul music group, The Isley Brothers. Rudolph “Rudy” Bernard Isley, born on April 1, 1939, in Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of the founding members of the group and has been an integral part of their success throughout their long and influential careers.

Rudolph Isley, along with his brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr., Vernon Isley, and Ronald Isley, formed The Isley Brothers in the 1950s. The group originally started as a gospel ensemble but transitioned to secular music, particularly rhythm and blues.

The Isley Brothers gained recognition for their smooth, harmonious vocals and were pioneers in various musical styles, including doo-wop, rock and roll, soul, and funk. In 1957, following Vernon’s death^[1], the remaining three elder Isleys moved to New York to seek a recording deal,

later recording for smaller labels until landing a deal with RCA Records in 1959 where they wrote, recorded, and released their first significant recording, “Shout”. It was recorded at RCA Victor Studio A, New York City, and released in August of 1959. By the summer of that year, the Isley family had moved from Cincinnati to a home in Englewood, New Jersey.

In 1962 they covered a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns (later credited as “Bert Russell”), originally recorded by the Top Notes^[2], called “Twist and Shout”. It became the group’s first single to reach the Top 20 (#17) on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It was released on the Wand label, a subsidiary of Scepter Records.

“This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)” was released on the Tamla label, a primary subsidiary for mainstream R&B/soul music. Tamla is the company’s original label: Gordy founded Tamla Records several months before establishing the Motown Record Corporation. The Holland–Dozier–Holland song would reach #12 on the Billboard chart.

In the 1960s, Rudy and his brothers founded the T-Neck Records label to promote their recordings. Following their split with Motown, they reactivated the label and scored a Grammy-winning smash with “It’s Your Thing” in 1969. This funk single, written by the Isleys, would reach #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on The U.S. Billboard R&B chart.

After this, they added three younger family members — brothers Ernie and Marvin, plus Rudolph’s brother-in-law Chris Jasper — transforming the group into their second, arguably most influential incarnation: flamboyant funk-rockers with a penchant for slow jams.

Big and burly, Rudy sported fur-lined stage costumes created by renowned designer Bernard Johnson, outfits accentuated by a walking cane. Engineer John Holbrook, who worked on a few Isley Brothers studio albums in the late 1970s, remembered: “At times, it got pretty heated within the family, and they’d be yelling at each other. They were big, scary guys. Rudy was the giant and kind of intimidating.” Rudy would share lead vocals with his brothers Ron and Kelly on hits such as “Fight the Power” and “Livin’ in the Life”. Rudy also sang full lead on other tunes such as “You Still Feel the Need” from the album, Harvest for the World, and their 1979 hit, “It’s a Disco Night (Rock Don’t Stop)”.

The Isleys’ hot streak began to cool off in the early 1980s. They could still manage a Top 10 hit, like 1983’s seductive “Between the Sheets,” but the friction between the older and younger trios led to the group fracturing in two. Ernie, Marvin, and Chris left to form Isley-Jasper-Isley, while Rudolph, Ronald, and O’Kelly carried on as the Isley Brothers, releasing “Masterpiece” on Warner Bros. in 1985.

Not long after the release of “Masterpiece,” O’Kelly died of a heart attack in 1986. Rudolph and Ronald continued as the Isley Brothers, releasing a pair of albums at the end of the 1980s, but Rudolph’s interest in the group waned, and in 1989, he left to become a minister.