Isley Brothers co-founder Rudolph Isley dies at 84
He sang in his family band for 35 years, leaving in 1989 to become a Christian minister.
Rudolph Isley, a founding member of The Isley Brothers, died on Wednesday, October 11 at 84 years old, TMZ first reported this afternoon (October 12) and multiple outlets have since confirmed. A source told TMZ that Isley’s death was caused by a heart attack. The FADER has reached out to Isley’s attorney, Brian D. Caplan, for independent confirmation. Caplan shared the following statement from Isley’s daughter with Pitchfork:
Rudolph Isley, a founding member of the world famous Isley Brothers, died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of October 11, 2023. He died at his home, with his devoted wife Elaine by his side. They had been married for 68 years. Rudolph was a deeply religious man who loved Jesus.
Ronald Isley, The Isley Brothers’ lead singer, commented on his brother’s death to Rolling Stone, saying, “There are no words to express my feelings and the love I have for my brother. Our family will miss him. But I know he’s in a better place.”
Rudolph Isley was born in 1939 in Cincinnati. In 1954, he founded The Isley Brothers with his older brother, O’Kelly “Kelly” Isley Jr., and two of his younger brothers, Ronald and Vernon Isley. Vernon, the youngest of the group and their original lead vocalist, died at 13 in a bicycle accident the following year, and they disbanded.
The remaining three members regrouped in 1957, with Ron as the lead singer and Rudy and Kelly on backing vocals, moving to New York in search of a record deal. They found one two years later with RCA, at which point the rest of the Isley family moved to Englewood, New Jersey. In 1959, they released their first major hit, the immortal “Shout!” Following the release of their debut album (also titled Shout!) the same year, a cover of Phil Medley and Bert Berns’ “Twist & Shout” became their second breakthrough, before the Beatles’ 1960 recording made the song world famous.
The ’60s saw the group collaborating with future legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Elton John and signing with Berry Gordy’s Tamla Records — where they released “This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You),” arguably their biggest hit — and creating their own label, T-Neck Records. On T-Neck, they recorded their first Grammy-winning song, “It’s Your Thing,” in 1969, and their first Billboard No. 1 album, The Heat Is On, in 1975. By the latter year, the band had expanded to include a backing band featuring the younger Isley brothers, Ernie and Marvin, and Rudy’s brother-in-law, Chris Jasper.
In 1984, the group’s three newest members broke off to form their own band, Isley-Jasper-Isley. Kelly died two years later, and Rudy left The Isley Brothers in 1989 to become a Christian minister. By the time of his exit, The Isley Brothers had a massive repertoire of hits, from “That Lady” to “Footsepts in the Dark” to “Between the Sheets.”
After Kelly’s death and Rudy’s departure, Ron and Ernie continued to perform as The Isley Brothers. Marvin returned in 1991, left in 1997, and died in 2010. The band (including Rudy) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Ron and Ernie have been active as recently as last year, collaborating with Beyoncé, 2 Chainz, and Fetty Wap.
Rudy was voted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022. At the time of his death, he and Ron were fighting in court over the rights to The Isley Brothers’ name. Along with Ron and Ernie, Rudolph Isley is survived by his wife Elaine and their children — Elizabeth, Valerie, Elaine and Rudy Jr. — as well as multiple grandchildren.