Editing The Isley Brothers (section)

==Career==
{{Moresources | section|date=February 2024}}
===Origins and initial recordings===
The Isley Brothers originally came from Cincinnati, Ohio, and were raised in the city's [[Lincoln Heights, Ohio|Lincoln Heights]] suburb, settling in the satellite town of [[Blue Ash, Ohio|Blue Ash]] when they were teenagers. Their father, O'Kelly Isley Sr., a former [[United States Navy]] [[sailor]] and [[vaudeville]] performer from [[Durham, North Carolina]], and their mother Sallye, from Georgia, guided the elder four Isley boys in their singing in church. The brothers began performing together in 1954, patterning themselves after groups such as [[Billy Ward and His Dominoes]] and [[The Dixie Hummingbirds]].{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=193}} Eventually, they landed a spot on [[Ted Mack (radio-TV host)|Ted Mack]]'s ''Amateur Hour'', where they won the competition (their prize was a watch).{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=193}} With Vernon singing lead vocals, the quartet soon began touring all over the [[East Coast of the United States|eastern US]], performing in a variety of churches. When Vernon was thirteen, he was killed by a car that struck him as he was riding his bike in his neighborhood. Devastated, the remaining trio disbanded.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=193}}

Eventually persuaded to regroup, with Ronnie assuming the lead vocal position, the brothers decided to record popular music and left Cincinnati for New York in 1957 with their parents' blessings.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=193–194}} The group got in touch with Richard Barrett, who soon had them in contact with a variety of New York record producers. They eventually had their first recorded songs produced by [[George Goldner]], including "Angels Cried" and "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon" for the Teenage, Cindy, and Mark X imprints.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=194}} The songs were only regional hits, however. By 1959, the group had landed a recording deal with [[RCA Victor]]. Later that year, the group recorded their first composition together, "[[Shout (The Isley Brothers song)|Shout]]", mixing their brand of gospel vocals and doo-wop harmonies, a song derived from a [[Washington, D.C.]], club performance in which the brothers had covered [[Jackie Wilson]]'s "[[Lonely Teardrops]]".{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=194}} The original version of the song peaked at number 47 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and never reached the R&B chart. Nevertheless, it sold over one million copies and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book
| first= Joseph
| last= Murrells
| year= 1978
| title= The Book of Golden Discs
| edition= 2nd
| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd
| location= London
| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/115 115]
| isbn= 0-214-20512-6
| url-access= registration
| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/115
}}</ref> 

Follow-up recordings on RCA Victor failed to chart and the brothers were dropped by the label in 1961 and were later signed by [[Scepter Records]]. In 1962, the Isley Brothers scored their first top 40 hit with the [[Bert Berns]] song "[[Twist and Shout]]", which reached number 17 on the Hot 100 and number 2 on the R&B chart, staying on the charts for 19 weeks.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=195}} The song had been produced by Berns for the brothers to teach then-struggling producer [[Phil Spector]] how to produce a hit.<ref>[http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlanticstory.html David Edwards and Mike Callahan, ''The Atlantic Records Story''], February 1990, Bsnpubs.com</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bertberns.com/bio.html|title=Bert Berns: Songwriter, Producer and Label Chief|website=Bertberns.com}}</ref>

Moving their entire operations to [[New Jersey]],<ref name=Isley>Wilner, Paul. [https://www.nytimes.com/1977/03/13/archives/westchester-weekly-isley-brothers-a-family-affair.html "Isley Brothers: A Family Affair"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 13, 1977. Accessed September 18, 2011. "WHEN Sallye Isley moved her brood of children from Cincinnati to Englewood in the summer of 1959, she was participating in a show-business phenomenon.... While their older brothers toured America, the younger Isley boys enrolled successively in Englewood Junior High and Dwight Morrow High School.... Right now, the brothers reside near enough to each other to keep in close touch. Ronald lives in Teaneck, Kelly Jr. in Alpine, Rudolph in Haworth and Ernie in Englewood."</ref> the brothers continued to struggle with recordings, and formed [[T-Neck Records]] in 1964.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=196}} 

In February{{sfn|Hendrix|McDermott|2007|p=13}} or March 1964, at the recommendation of a former associate of [[Joe Tex]], Ronnie Isley granted guitarist [[Jimi Hendrix]] (who would later become famous as a solo artist) an audition that led to an offer to become the guitarist with the Isley Brothers' backing band, the I.B. Specials, which he readily accepted.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|p=10}}  In March, Hendrix recorded the two-part single "[[Testify (Isley Brothers song)|Testify]]" with the Isley Brothers. Released in June, it failed to chart.{{sfn|McDermott|2009|pp=10–11}}  Hendrix toured with the Isleys during much of 1964, but near the end of October, after growing tired of playing the same set every night, he left the band.<ref>{{harvnb|Heatley|2009|p=53}}; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|p=54}}.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to authors Steve Roby and Brad Schreiber, Hendrix was fired from the Isleys in August 1964.{{sfn|Roby|Schreiber|2010|p=85}}}} (Soon afterward, Hendrix joined [[Little Richard]]'s touring band, [[The Upsetters (American band)|the Upsetters]].{{sfn|McDermott|2009|p=13}}

In late July 1965 (or August 1965), Hendrix then briefly rejoined the Isley Brothers, recording a second single with them, "Move Over and Let Me Dance" backed with "Have You Ever Been Disappointed";<ref>{{harvnb|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=571}}; {{harvnb|Shadwick|2003|pp=60–61}}.</ref> the single was recorded for and released by T-Neck and distributed by [[Atlantic Records]]. Later that year, Hendrix joined a New York-based R&B band, [[Curtis Knight]] and the Squires, after meeting Knight in the lobby of a hotel where both men were staying,{{sfn|Shapiro|Glebbeek|1995|p=95}} before eventually launching a successful solo career.

After both songs failed to chart and Hendrix left the Isleys for good in 1965, the brothers signed with [[Motown Records]]. Early the following year, the group released their second Top 40 hit single, "[[This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)]]". While the Isley Brothers' recordings with Motown were more successful than their earlier works, they struggled to score a follow-up Top 40 hit with the label. They left Motown in 1968.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

===Major success===
Resurrecting their T-Neck label that year, the brothers signed a distribution deal with [[Buddah Records]] and issued "[[It's Your Thing]]" in February 1969. The song, which featured the first appearance of Ernie Isley on bass, became their biggest success to date, reaching number 2 on the Hot 100 and number 1 on the R&B chart. The song's parent album, ''[[It's Our Thing]]'', reached number 22 on the [[Billboard 200|Pop LP]] chart, and "It's Your Thing" became the group's second million-seller and won them a Grammy Award. The release of "It's Your Thing" brought record label conflicts between the Isleys and Motown, as Motown argued that the group had recorded the song while still under their Motown contract. A 1975 court decision found in the Isleys' favor.{{sfn|Gulla|2008|p=199}}

In June 1969, the brothers independently recorded their concert at [[Yankee Stadium]] which featured an array of artists. The live album ''[[Live at Yankee Stadium]]'' was released later that year. They also filmed the concert which was released as a documentary titled [[It's Your Thing (film)|''It's Your Thing'']] in theaters in August 1970.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=August 15, 1970|title=Isley Bros. Show Lists Film Dates|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1970/Billboard%201970-08-15.pdf|magazine=Billboard|page=30}}</ref>

By 1971, the younger Isley brothers Ernie and Marvin and their brother-in-law Chris Jasper started to add to the band's music, first performing on the Isleys' ''[[Givin' It Back]]''. The album featured reinterpretations of rock songs mixing them with funk and gospel elements. The new members played an even bigger role in the 1972 album, ''[[Brother, Brother, Brother]]''. Both albums yielded Top 40 hits, including "[[Love the One You're With]]" and "[[Pop That Thang]]". By the end of their Buddah tenure in 1973, the brothers had signed a distribution deal with [[Epic Records]] and made Ernie, Marvin, and Chris official members.<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web |title=The Isley Brothers |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Isley-Brothers |website=Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=December 24, 2024 |date=December 12, 2024}}</ref> In 1973, the Isleys released ''[[3 + 3]]'', which included the Top 10 hit single "[[That Lady (song)|That Lady]]" and a UK Top 10 cover of "[[Summer Breeze (song)|Summer Breeze]]". Incorporating hard rock and folk-rock as well as funk and soulful balladry, the album became their breakthrough hit, eventually selling over two million copies.

The following year, the album ''[[Live It Up (The Isley Brothers album)|Live It Up]]'' also reached platinum. In 1975, the brothers made one of their most successful recordings, ''[[The Heat Is On (album)|The Heat Is On]]'', which featured the hits "[[Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)|Fight the Power]]" and "[[For the Love of You]]", and became their first album to reach number 1 on the Pop LP chart, going double-platinum at two million copies sold. The brothers would have more hit albums, including ''[[Harvest for the World]]'' (1976), ''[[Go for Your Guns]]'' (1977), and ''[[Showdown (The Isley Brothers album)|Showdown]]'' (1978), all of which went platinum, and yielded several Top 40 pop and R&B singles and popular radio cuts. By 1979, with the release of ''[[Winner Takes All (album)|Winner Takes All]]'', the brothers had incorporated disco and [[quiet storm]] music into their work. The Isley Brothers' final album under their six-member lineup, ''[[Between the Sheets (The Isley Brothers album)|Between the Sheets]]'' (1983), sold more than two million copies. 

By then, financial struggles, creative difficulties, and other issues affected the group. Shortly after the success of ''Between the Sheets'', Ernie, Marvin, and Chris left the Isley Brothers and formed [[Isley-Jasper-Isley]]. They later recorded the hit "[[Caravan of Love]]".

===Later years===
{{more citations needed|section|date=March 2020}}
In 1985, the original Isleys trio of O'Kelly, Rudy, and Ronnie signed with [[Warner Bros. Records]] and recorded and released the album ''[[Masterpiece (The Isley Brothers album)|Masterpiece]]''. Shortly a year after its release, Kelly Isley died from a heart attack while battling cancer, in March 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qbADAAAAMBAJ&q=O%27Kelly+Isley,+Jr.+obituary&pg=PA52 |title=O'Kelly Isley, 48, Of The Isley Bros. Dies In N.J|magazine=Jet |access-date=February 11, 2010 |date=April 21, 1986 }}</ref><ref>[[Associated Press]]. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE2DF153CF930A35757C0A960948260 "O'KELLY ISLEY"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 3, 1986. Accessed October 8, 2007. "He was 48 years old and lived in Alpine. Born Dec. 25, 1937, Mr. Isley grew up in Cincinnati and began his musical career singing gospel with his brothers, who performed with their mother accompanying them on piano."</ref> The remaining duo of Ron and Rudy released the [[Angela Winbush]]-produced albums, ''[[Smooth Sailin' (The Isley Brothers album)|Smooth Sailin']]'' in 1987 and ''[[Spend the Night (The Isley Brothers album)|Spend the Night]]'' in 1989. Shortly after the latter release, Rudy retired from the music industry and followed life in the [[Christian ministry|ministry]]. 

Ron put the group on a brief hiatus in 1990 while he recorded solo material. In 1991, Ron revived the group; Ernie Isley and brother Marvin returned to the fold. that year they released the album, ''[[Tracks of Life]]''. Five years later, Ron Isley gained popularity as video villain Frank Biggs (or Mr. Biggs) in the music video for [[R. Kelly]]'s hit "[[Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)]]", which included the Isley Brothers as featured artists. The success of the song and its video helped the brothers' 1996 album ''[[Mission to Please]]'' reach platinum status.

That same year, Marvin Isley's career ended after a bout with diabetes forced him to have both of his legs amputated. Ron and Ernie have carried on as a duo from then on. In 2001, the duo released their best-selling album in years with the ''[[Eternal (The Isley Brothers album)|Eternal]]'' album, which sold over two million copies and featured the top 20 hit single "[[Contagious (song)|Contagious]]", making the Isley Brothers the only act to reach the Hot 100 (in fact, that chart's top 50) during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Two years later, the brothers' ''[[Body Kiss]]'' album peaked at number-one on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, becoming their second to reach the position and the first to do so since ''The Heat Is On''. Their next two released albums included 2006's ''[[Baby Makin' Music]]'' and the 2007 holiday album ''I'll Be Home for Christmas''. 

In 2007, the Isleys' career was interrupted by Ron Isley's three-year prison sentence for tax evasion.<ref name=3years>{{cite web |url=http://www.today.com/id/14681264/ns/today-entertainment/t/singer-ronald-isley-gets-years-prison/#.UVRKkTfKSSo |title=Singer Ronald Isley gets 3 years in prison |website=Today.com |date=September 12, 2006 |access-date=March 28, 2013}}</ref> He was released in 2010. In June of that year, youngest brother Marvin Isley died in Chicago after his longtime bout with diabetes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/07/marvin.isley.dead/|title=Marvin Isley of Isley Bros. dies at 56|date=June 7, 2010|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=June 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10261780.stm |work=BBC News |title=Isley Brothers bassist dies at 56 |date=June 8, 2010}}</ref> During the group's hiatus, Ernie toured as part of the ''Experience Hendrix'' concert festival, while Ron Isley released his first solo album, ''Mr. I'', in 2010. A year later, Ron and Ernie reunited and have since performed on the road.
[[File:Ron and Ernie Isley.jpg|thumb|Ron and Ernie Isley in 1996]]
In 1993, the Isley Brothers song "[[Footsteps in the Dark]]" was sampled by hip-hop artist [[Ice Cube]] for the hit single "[[It Was a Good Day]]".<ref>{{cite web|title=Ice Cube, "It Was A Good Day"|first=Steven|last=Hyden|date=October 25, 2011|url=https://www.avclub.com/ice-cube-it-was-a-good-day-1798228180|work=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref>

In 1994, the Isley Brothers song "[[Between the Sheets (song)|Between the Sheets]]" was sampled by [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] for his hit single "[[Big Poppa]]". That same year, R&B singer [[Aaliyah]] included a cover version of "[[(At Your Best) You Are Love]]" on her debut album, ''[[Age Ain't Nothing but a Number]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Conteh|first=Mankaprr|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alex-isley-ernie-isley-aaliyah-cover-1216705/|date=August 25, 2021|title=Alex and Ernie Isley on Aaliyah's Intergenerational Appeal|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|accessdate=September 1, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825162443/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alex-isley-ernie-isley-aaliyah-cover-1216705/|url-status=live|archive-date=August 25, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Augustin|first=Camille|url=https://www.vibe.com/2016/08/age-aint-nothing-but-a-number-aaliyah-week/|title=Aaliyah Week: 'Age Ain't Nothing But A Number' & The Isley Brothers Cover That Placed Aaliyah On The Map |date=August 26, 2016|magazine=[[Vibe Magazine|Vibe]]|access-date=September 14, 2023}}</ref> "[[Luxurious]]", the fifth single from No Doubt frontwoman [[Gwen Stefani]]'s 2004 multi-platinum solo debut ''[[Love. Angel. Music. Baby.]]'' also benefited from a prominent sample of "[[Between the Sheets (song)|Between the Sheets]]".

After the break-up of [[Isley-Jasper-Isley]] in 1987, Chris Jasper continued as a solo artist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, forming his own independent record label, Gold City Records. He has since released 14 solo albums, including 4 gospel albums. He released the #1 R&B hit "Superbad" in 1988, a song which emphasized the importance of education, a theme Jasper continues to emphasize in many of the songs he has written since his days with the Isleys. In January 2013, Jasper released ''Inspired: By Love, By Life, By the Spirit'', a compilation of love songs as well as socially conscious and spiritual tracks. In May 2014, Jasper released ''The One'', reminiscent of the soulful R&B and funk music he wrote for the Isleys. In 2016, Jasper released ''Share With Me'', which included a cover of the Billy Preston hit, "You Are So Beautiful" and a track called "America", a tribute to the nation and a call to come together. In April 2018, Jasper pre-released a double-A single "The Love That You Give/It's a Miracle" from his 15th solo album ''Dance With You'', scheduled for a July 2018 release.

Jasper, who earned a [[Juris Doctor]] in 2004, has continued to write, record, and perform all the music on his solo albums and produce artists for his Gold City label, including Liz Hogue, Out Front, and Brothaz By Choice. The most recent addition to the Gold City label is Jasper's son, Michael Jasper, a songwriter, recording artist and screenplay writer, who earned his law degree in 2018. In 1989, Chris Jasper wrote, produced and performed on "Make It Last" for [[Chaka Khan]]'s ''[[CK (album)|CK]]'' album. In 2015, in conjunction with Sony Music, Jasper released the ''Essential Chris Jasper'' which encompasses all of the tracks that Jasper sang lead on during his Isley-Jasper-Isley years and solo career at CBS/Sony Music. In 2015, he received the German Record Critics Lifetime Achievement Award ("Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik"). In 2016, Jasper was awarded the National R&B Society Lifetime Achievement Award.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnbmusicsociety.com/past-honorees|title=Past Honorees|website=rnbmusicsociety1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnbmusicsociety.com/?lightbox=dataItem-iwl0fdk0|title=Classic Soul &#124; The National R&B Music Society|website=rnbmusicsociety1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnbmusicsociety.com/productions|title=Productions|website=rnbmusicsociety1}}</ref>

In 2017, the Isley Brothers (Ernie and Ronnie) collaborated with guitarist [[Santana (band)|Santana]] (led by its namesake and founder [[Carlos Santana]]) and released ''[[Power of Peace]]'',<ref name="Britannica"></ref> released on July 28 by Sony Music's Legacy Recordings. In 2019, Ron and Ernie Isley received the National R&B Music Society's<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnbmusicsociety.com/|title=Classic Soul &#124; The National R&B Music Society|website=rnbmusicsociety1}}</ref> Lifetime Achievement Award and Proclamations<ref name="auto"/> from the City of Atlantic City, while on stage in Atlantic City, NJ. In 2021 the brothers participated in a [[Verzuz]] with fellow R&B band [[Earth, Wind & Fire]] hosted by [[Steve Harvey]], to celebrate both bands contributions to R&B & Pop music and African American culture.

On September 30, 2022, the Isley Brothers released a new album, titled ''Make Me Say It Again, Girl''.