(L-R) Ronald Isley, O’Kelly Isley and Rudolph Isley of The Isley Brothers.  Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Dear Commons Community,

Rudolph Isley, a founding member of The Isley Brothers, has died. He was 84.

The singer “died peacefully in his sleep” on Wednesday morning in Illinois, his daughter Elaine confirms to PEOPLE in a statement.

“He died at his home with his devoted wife Elaine by his side. They had been married for 68 years,” said his daughter. “Rudolph was a deeply religious man who loved Jesus.”

Rudolph’s brother and bandmate Ronald tells PEOPLE in a statement, “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.”

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Rudolph grew up singing in church and became a member of The Isley Brothers with his siblings O’Kelly, Ronald and Vernon in his teens. After Vernon died in 1955 in a car accident, the band relocated to New York City where they sought out a record deal. Just a year before the family band would sign with RCA Records and land their breakout hit “Shout,” Rudolph married Elaine Jasper.

Over the course of their career, the group, known for their soul and doo-wop sound, produced hits like “Shout”, “Twist and Shout” , “This Old Heart of Mine”,  “Love the One Your With” and “It’s Your Thing.” In 1964, The Isley Brothers formed their own record company, T-Neck Records, and even recruited Jimi Hendrix to play guitar for their band for a brief period. But one year later, they ended up signing with Motown.

By 1973, The Isley Brothers expanded to include their younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper.

In 1989, Rudolph departed The Isley Brothers to carry out his goal of being a Christian minister and because of poor health and the death of his brother and bandmate O’Kelly but reunited with the band throughout their tenure. Three years later, the Isley Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although Rudolph left the group in the ’80s, he remained active in promoting and managing the group’s properties, including a multi-million dollar music publishing deal in 2018 and, more recently, negotiation of a licensing deal that saw “Shout” used in a 2023 Super Bowl commercial.

For those of us who were teenagers in the 1960s, The Isley Brothers were special.  When you heard them sing, everybody got up and danced!

Tony

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