The Isley Brothers facts for kids

The Isley Brothers are an American music group. They started in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1950s. The group began with three brothers: O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, and Ronald Isley.

They have had an amazing career for over 60 years. Many people think they are one of the most important and varied groups in popular music history.

A fourth brother, Vernon, sang gospel music with them at first. Sadly, Vernon passed away a few years after the group started. The group moved to New York City in the late 1950s. They became famous in 1959 with their song "Shout". This song was written by the three brothers. It was their first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. It sold over a million copies!

In the 1960s, they recorded songs for different record companies. These included the hit "Twist and Shout" and the Motown song "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)". Later, they released the Grammy Award-winning song "It's Your Thing" on their own record label, T-Neck Records.

In 1973, younger brothers Ernie Isley (who played lead guitar and drums) and Marvin Isley (who played bass guitar) joined the group. Their brother-in-law Chris Jasper (who played keyboards) also joined. This changed the group from a singing trio to a full band. This was a very successful time for them. For ten years, they released many popular albums. These included 3 + 3, Between the Sheets, and The Heat Is On. The Heat Is On even reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 1983, the six-member band split up. Ernie, Marvin, and Chris Jasper formed a new group called Isley-Jasper-Isley. The oldest brother, O'Kelly, passed away in 1986. After that, Rudolph and Ronald released two albums together. Rudolph then decided to focus on Christian ministry in 1989.

The group's members changed over time. Ronald and Ernie continued as a duo. They had more success with albums like Mission to Please (1996), Eternal (2001), and Body Kiss (2003). The album Eternal had the popular song "Contagious". As of 2021, Ronald and Ernie Isley still perform together as The Isley Brothers.

The Isley Brothers have sold over 18 million records in the United States. They are one of the few groups to have new songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in six different decades. Their first hit was "Shout" in 1959, and their last was "Contagious" in 2001. Sixteen of their albums made it into the Top 40. Thirteen of these albums have been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum.

The brothers have received many honors. They were added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. In 1997, they were honored on Hollywood's Rockwalk. In 2003, they joined the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

The Isley Brothers' Musical Journey

Early Days and First Songs

The Isley Brothers grew up in Lincoln Heights, a suburb of Cincinnati. Their parents, O'Kelly Isley Sr. and Sallye, encouraged their singing. Their father was a former sailor and performer. The four older Isley boys sang in church.

They started performing together in 1954. They were inspired by groups like Billy Ward and His Dominoes. They even won a competition on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. Vernon was the lead singer at this time. The group toured the eastern United States, performing in churches.

When Vernon was thirteen, he was hit by a car while riding his bike and passed away. The remaining three brothers were very sad and stopped performing for a while.

Later, Ronald became the lead singer, and the brothers decided to sing popular music. They moved to New York in 1957. They met record producers and recorded their first songs. These songs were popular in their local area.

In 1959, they signed with RCA Records. They recorded their first song they wrote together, "Shout". It blended gospel singing with doo-wop harmonies. "Shout" reached number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. It sold over one million copies and earned a gold record.

Their next songs on RCA didn't do as well. They left the label in 1961 and signed with Scepter Records. In 1962, they had their first Top 40 hit with "Twist and Shout". This song reached number 17 on the Hot 100. It stayed on the charts for 19 weeks.

The brothers moved their operations to New Jersey. They continued to work hard on their music. In 1964, they started their own record label, T-Neck Records. During this time, Jimi Hendrix played lead guitar in their band. They recorded the song "Testify" with Hendrix. Hendrix also played on another song, "Move On Over and Let Me Dance." Both songs did not become big hits. Jimi Hendrix left the band in 1965.

After Hendrix left, the brothers signed with Motown Records. In 1966, they released their second Top 40 hit, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)". Even though their Motown songs were more successful, they struggled to get another Top 40 hit. They left Motown in 1968.

Becoming a Major Success

In 1969, they brought back their T-Neck label. They made a deal with Buddah Records. They released "It's Your Thing" in February 1969. This song became their biggest hit so far. It reached number 2 on the Hot 100 and number 1 on the R&B chart.

The album It's Our Thing reached number 22 on the Pop LP chart. "It's Your Thing" sold over a million copies and won a Grammy Award.

In June 1969, the brothers recorded their concert at Yankee Stadium. They released this as a live album called Live at Yankee Stadium. They also made a documentary film of the concert called It's Your Thing. It was shown in theaters in August 1970.

By 1971, Ernie and Marvin Isley, and Chris Jasper, started playing a bigger role in the band's music. They first performed on the album Givin' It Back. This album had new versions of rock songs mixed with funk and gospel styles. The new members played an even bigger part in the 1972 album, Brother, Brother, Brother. Both albums had Top 40 hits like "Love the One You're With" and "Pop That Thang".

In 1973, the brothers signed a deal with Epic Records. Ernie, Marvin, and Chris officially became members of the group. In 1973, The Isleys released 3 + 3. This album included the Top 10 hit "That Lady" and a popular cover of "Summer Breeze". The album mixed hard rock, folk-rock, funk, and soulful ballads. It became a huge success, selling over two million copies.

The next year, their album Live It Up also sold over a million copies. In 1975, they released one of their most famous albums, The Heat Is On. This album had the hits "Fight the Power" and "For the Love of You". It was their first album to reach number 1 on the Pop LP chart. It sold two million copies.

The brothers continued to have hit albums. These included Harvest for the World (1976), Go for Your Guns (1977), and Showdown (1978). All of these albums sold over a million copies. They also had many popular songs on the radio. By 1979, with the album Winner Takes All, they started to include disco and quiet storm music in their songs.

The Isley Brothers' last album with all six members was Between the Sheets (1983). It sold more than two million copies. After this success, Ernie, Marvin, and Chris left The Isley Brothers. They formed their own group called Isley-Jasper-Isley. They later recorded the hit song "Caravan of Love".

Later Years and Continued Success

In 1985, the original trio of O'Kelly, Rudy, and Ronald signed with Warner Bros. Records. They released the album Masterpiece. A year later, in March 1986, O'Kelly Isley passed away.

Ronald and Rudy continued as a duo. They released two albums: Smooth Sailin' (1987) and Spend the Night (1989). After the second album, Rudy retired from music to focus on his Christian ministry. Ronald took a short break from the group in 1990 to work on solo music.

In 1991, Ronald brought the group back. Ernie Isley and Marvin Isley rejoined. They released the album Tracks of Life. Five years later, Ronald Isley became very popular as "Mr. Biggs" in the music video for R. Kelly's hit song "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)". The Isley Brothers were featured artists on this song. The song's success helped their 1996 album Mission to Please sell over a million copies.

That same year, Marvin Isley's music career ended due to health issues. Ronald and Ernie have continued to perform as a duo since then. In 2001, their album Eternal became their best-selling album in years. It sold over two million copies and had the Top 20 hit song "Contagious". This made The Isley Brothers the only music act to have songs on the Hot 100 chart in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.

Two years later, their album Body Kiss reached number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. This was their second album to reach that spot. Their next albums were Baby Makin' Music (2006) and the holiday album I'll Be Home for Christmas (2007).

In June 2010, the youngest brother, Marvin Isley, passed away in Chicago. During a break for the group, Ernie toured with the Experience Hendrix concert festival. Ronald Isley released his first solo album, Mr. I, in 2010. A year later, Ronald and Ernie reunited and have been performing together ever since.

Ron and Ernie Isley in 1996

The Isley Brothers' music has been used by many other artists.

• In 1993, their song "Footsteps in the Dark" was used by hip-hop artist Ice Cube for his hit song "It Was a Good Day".
• In 1994, their song "Between the Sheets" was used by The Notorious B.I.G. for his hit song "Big Poppa".
• That same year, R&B singer Aaliyah covered their song "(At Your Best) You Are Love" on her first album.
• "Luxurious", a song by Gwen Stefani in 2004, also used a part of "Between the Sheets".

After Isley-Jasper-Isley broke up in 1987, Chris Jasper continued as a solo artist. He formed his own record label, Gold City Records. He has released many solo albums, including gospel music. He had a #1 R&B hit called "Superbad" in 1988. This song talked about how important education is.

In 2017, Ernie and Ronald Isley worked with guitarist Carlos Santana. They released the album Power of Peace on July 28.

In 2019, Ronald and Ernie Isley received the National R&B Music Society's Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, the brothers took part in a Verzuz event with the band Earth, Wind & Fire. This event celebrated both bands' contributions to music.

On September 30, 2022, The Isley Brothers released a new album called Make Me Say It Again, Girl.

The Isley Brothers' Music Style

The group was influenced by gospel and doo-wop music. They tried many different music styles throughout their career. They started with rock and roll. Then, they changed their sound to soul music, and later to funk and funk rock. The group has also performed rhythm and blues and pop ballads.

Awards and Honors

The Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. In 1997, they were added to Hollywood's Rockwalk. In 2003, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

Grammy Awards

The Isley Brothers have won two Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Two of their songs are in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Grammy Hall of Fame Songs

Group Members Over Time

• Ronald Isley – main singer (1955–present), background vocals (1954–1955)
• Ernie Isley – guitars, bass, drums, percussion (1969–1984, 1991–present)
• Vernon Isley – main singer (1954–1955; his death)
• Rudolph Isley – background vocals (1954–1989, 2004)
• O'Kelly Isley Jr. – background vocals (1954–1986; his death)
• Marvin Isley – bass (1969–1970, 1971–1984, 1991–1997; died 2010)
• Chris Jasper – keyboards, background vocals, string arrangements, guitars, percussion (1969, 1971–1984)

Timeline of Members

Isley Brothers' Albums

See also

In Spanish: The Isley Brothers para niños