The Isley Brothers | |
---|---|
The Isley Brothers with Clay Cole on The Clay Cole Show in 1962
|
|
Background information | |
Also known as | The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley AKA "Mr. Biggs" The Isleys |
Origin | Cincinnati, Ohio Teaneck, New Jersey |
Genres | Doo-wop, rock and roll, R&B, soul, rock, funk, gospel |
Years active | 1954–present |
Labels | Motown Records, T-Neck, Warner Bros., Def Soul |
Members | |
Past members |
The Isley Brothers (/ˈaɪzliː/) are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, originally a vocal trio consisting of brothers O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley. The group has been cited as having enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music".
Alongside a fourth brother, Vernon, the group performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation. After moving to the New York City area in the late 1950s, the group had modest chart successes during their early years, first coming to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout", written by the three brothers. Initially a modest charted single, the song eventually sold over a million copies. Afterwards the group recorded for a variety of labels, including the top 20 single, "Twist and Shout" and the Motown single, "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" before recording and issuing the Grammy Award-winning hit, "It's Your Thing" on their own label, T-Neck Records.
Influenced by gospel and doo-wop music, the group began experimenting with different musical styles incorporating elements of rock and funk music as well as pop balladry. The inclusion of younger brothers Ernie Isley (lead guitar, drums) and Marvin Isley (bass guitar), and Rudolph's brother-in-law Chris Jasper (keyboards, synthesizers) in 1973 turned the original vocal trio into a self-contained musical band. For the next full decade, they recorded top-selling albums including The Heat Is On and Between the Sheets.